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How Aquaculture in Water-Scarce Locales Can Tackle Food Insecurity By Mark Smith* At the University of Maryland Baltimore County's Aquaculture Research Center are fish tanks filled with jostling gilthead seabream (above), Atlantic salmon, and tilapia. Photo courtesy of Professor Yonathan Zohar Picturing a desert typically conjures up images of sand dunes, rocks, blazing sun, and maybe some palm trees or cactus. But one image that probably doesn’t come to mind is flourishing marine life. Yet in hot, arid southern Israel, tons of fresh fish flow from the desert to the dinner plate. This kind of aquaculture in freshwater-scarce locales is viewed as a significant solution to food insecurity. For desert regions in particular, the model offers the possibility of transforming arid landscapes into unprecedented hubs of food production. Fish Farms in the Negev Israel’s sprawling Negev Desert covers roughly 13,000 square kilometers (5,000 square miles) and features striking rock formations, craters, and canyons. With temperatures often exceeding 40°C (104°F) in the summer and with some areas receiving less than 100 millimeters (4 inches) of rainfall a year, the Negev Desert is not somewhere you would expect to find any kind of marine life—much less the type found on dinner plates. And yet several species of fish are being bred here on an industrial scale. Aquaculture in Israeli deserts  has been developed since 1979. Today, scientists, entrepreneurs, and industrialists have collaborated to build land-based fish farms in the desert  using advanced recirculating aquaculture systems  (RASs) that allow precise control over things like water quality, salinity, and temperature. [The geothermal water] was extracted and used to farm warmwater species, such as barramundi, also known as Asian sea bass. But where does the water for raising the fish come from, especially considering the amount of water needed? That problem was solved by drilling deep into the Negev bedrock south of the Dead Sea, which found artesian wells of slightly brackish geothermal water. The water, around 37°C (99°F), was extracted and used to farm warmwater species , such as barramundi, also known as Asian sea bass, which thrive in temperatures between 26°C (78.8°F) and 32°C (89.6°F). By adjusting and stabilizing the geothermal supply, farmers can create ideal growing conditions year-round. These systems are closed-loop, meaning they recycle most of what they use.  The Negev Desert of southern Israel, seen here with a group of Nubian ibexes, is characterized by arid hills and canyons. ValerijaP/iStock Unlike traditional open-water fish cages, where waste flows directly into surrounding seas, RASs can operate with minimal discharge. Small amounts of nutrient-rich excess water can be used to irrigate nearby crops, such as olives or date palms. Land-Based Aquaculture Progress Renowned Professor Yonathan Zohar, chair of the Department of Marine Biotechnology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and an aquaculture leader in the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, said RASs are benefiting from technological advancements. “We made a huge amount of progress in the science and technology of land-based RASs that can be located anywhere while having total control of the environmental conditions, such as salinity and temperature,” he said. The systems allow fish to be grown in freshwater or artificial saltwater, at virtually any salinity or temperature required. “They recycle and reuse their water,” Zohar said, “and, as such, are easy to tailor the farming conditions—cold, warm, fresh, or salt water—to the species of interest to enable optimal performance. Plus, they generate very minimal environmental waste, thus being ecologically responsible.”  He adds that if operated optimally, growth rates can be faster, stocking densities higher, and feed efficiency improved compared with many open-water systems. The work taking place in the desert is the latest in a long list of achievements for the professor. Over a career spanning more than five decades, he also helped overcome one of the aquaculture industry’s most challenging biological bottlenecks: the inability of many fish species to reproduce in captivity. In the wild, fish rely on subtle environmental cues—changes in temperature, salinity, day length, and water depth—to trigger spawning. In captivity, those cues are often missing or incomplete. The professor found that the brain hormone gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) was not being properly released in farmed broodstock. His team developed synthetic versions of the hormone and incorporated them into biodegradable, slow-release implants that successfully induce spawning. The breakthrough helped transform aquaculture from a system dependent on wild-caught juveniles into one capable of closing the full life cycle in captivity. Problems and Solutions But the RAS technology is not without its critics or challenges. Building a large-scale RAS facility requires significant upfront investment —perhaps $10 million to $20 million for a medium-sized system producing 500 tons of fish per year. Energy consumption can also be substantial, particularly for pumping, filtration, and temperature control, which has prompted debates about overall energy footprints. Moreover, while water use may be minimal, electricity demand can be high. But the professor says taking certain measures can help offset this aspect. “Renewable energy, such as solar, is integrated, and we convert solid organic waste to bioenergy. These systems have a lower carbon footprint, as they can be built anywhere, near major markets, airports, or highways,” he said. “Compare this to the high energy needed for floating netpens [cages] with using boats, fuel, etc., for daily operations,” he added.   As food demand continues to rise alongside a growing global population, pressure on marine ecosystems has intensified. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, aquaculture now provides more than half of the seafood consumed worldwide. To help address this, land-based RAS farms are now operating in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, producing salmon, sea bass, shrimp, and other species. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, aquaculture now provides  more than half of the seafood consumed worldwide. Professor Yonathan Zohar by one of his fish tanks. Photo courtesy Yonathan Zohar So, the demand is there—as is the technology to meet the demands as they emerge. “The context is much broader—desert, cold climates, any climate,” said Zohar. “It is already happening.” Indeed, addressing food-security challenges was one of the main drivers of the professor’s career. “I wanted to work in a field that carries societal benefits, so that we can provide for the growing world population and meet the increasing demand of seafood through aquaculture rather than continuing to overfish and deplete our oceans,” he said. Looking to the future, Zohar believes land-based aquaculture systems have a sunny future. “RAS land-based platforms will gradually replace the current dominant practices of floating cages for optimally farming most commercially important fish species in environmentally responsible ways that are water-, energy-, and climate-smart,” he said. "It will take time, but this is the future of environmentally responsible fish farming." In a region so seemingly harsh, the sight of fish thriving in tanks beneath the desert sun challenges long-held assumptions about where food can be grown. But it may offer a glimpse of how technology and biology together can reshape the future of global food production. *Mark Smith   is a journalist and author from the UK. He has written on subjects ranging from business and technology to world affairs, history, and popular culture for the Guardian , BBC, Telegraph , and magazines in the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia.

Research Finds Horses Can Perceive and Interpret Human Feelings By Becky Hoag* Horses can feel people’s emotions. LSO Photo/iStock At least since 2,000 B.C.,  humankind and horses have traveled, worked, fought, and raced together. Modern research into animal behavior is now finding that these animals—from giant draft horses to miniature ponies—are emotionally complex and highly intelligent. “Horses are fascinating and deeply emotional beings. I often think of them as the definition of sentience—the ability to feel,” eminent animal researcher Dr. Marc Bekoff once wrote in Psychology Today . To better understand the environment and the creatures that inhabit it, scientists have long been studying  animal intelligence. Researchers have already discovered that dogs , cows, and mice  can distinguish human emotions through scent. Now, a peer-reviewed study , recently published in the online journal PLOS One,  found that horses can perceive and interpret human emotions through facial expressions and vocal tones and also through chemical signals in human sweat. Studies like these raise the question: How many types of other animals can recognize, interpret, and react to cross-species cues? “Becoming aware of these sometimes unconscious processes helps us realize just how much we influence animals—and how much we are influenced by our contact with them,” said one of the PLOS One study’s authors, Dr. Léa Lansade. She is the research director at France’s National Research Institute of Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE) and has studied horse behavior and sentience for years. “I have always been passionate about ethology [the study of animal behavior], horses, and the close relationships they share with humans,” she explained. “It therefore felt very natural for me to start studying them. This has been my profession for the past 20 years.” Dr. Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals . Michael Noonan/Wikipedia Her goal is to parse out the truths and myths about human–horse connections, and her research is making it clearer how strong that bond can be. This comes as no surprise to Bekoff, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado and cochair of the Jane Goodall Institute’s ethics committee. He has studied and written about animal emotional intelligence for decades. One of his best-known books, The Emotional Lives of Animals  (written in 2007 and revised in 2024), dives into a trove of studies on the topic. “This kind of chemical communication [in horses] is fascinating because we cannot see it or consciously perceive it.” “I added about 300 references [to the revised edition], and they were all supportive of the fact that a wide variety of animals have rich and deep emotions,” Bekoff told The Earth & I . “None of the studies said companion animals or wild animals didn’t have the emotions we thought they had or the emotional lives we thought they had. Every study said or implied we can always do more to increase their quality of life and their well-being.” Bekoff asserts that the research is so aligned on this point that assuming an animal is not emotional is antiscientific . Legislation and cultural norms still have a long way to go to match how humans act toward nonhumans with what the research shows, but Bekoff believes that communicating the research to the public and encouraging people to engage more with other animals is a step in the right direction. Horses Smell Our Moods For her study, Lansade and her colleagues had 30 human participants stick cotton pads under their armpits while watching either 20 minutes of the horror film Sinister  or 20 minutes of wholesome clips. All participants made sure not to wear any fragrances or perfumes or eat any foods prior to the experiment that might impact body scent. After collecting the sweaty cotton pads, the researchers froze the samples for a few months. The scientists then exposed 43 horses to either a “fear” or a “joy” pad—or a neutral (unused) pad, used as a control. Reactions were documented when the horses were just roaming their enclosure, and then when they were being groomed, near a random human, surprised, or exploring an unknown object. In addition to documenting observable behavior, the researchers collected saliva samples from the horses and monitored their heart rates. They found that horses exposed to a “fear” scent grazed less, touched the random human near them less, were more easily spooked, and glanced at the random object more. Fear seemed to impact behavior more than joy when compared to the neutral scent. Lansade told The Earth & I  she was surprised by how much the horses were impacted by the different odors. “These pads were frozen and tested with horses months later. And yet they still contained enough chemical compounds to influence the horses’ behavior. Imagine how strong the effect must be when we experience emotions in real time in front of horses—the impact is likely much greater,” Lansade said. “This kind of chemical communication is fascinating because we cannot see it or consciously perceive it, and it may explain many phenomena.” The study showed that humans who spend time around horses really can’t lie to them. How a caretaker or trainer feels can genuinely impact how a horse behaves or reacts. This might help people understand why a horse is more reactive during equestrian games, therapeutic riding sessions, or medical appointments. And maybe, if the world is causing more stress for humans, the horses can feel it too. A PLOS One  study showed that, due to horses’ exquisite sense of smell, humans can’t lie to them. Emma Ted/Pixabay Seeing the World through a Pet’s Eyes Recognizing that there might be a deeper connection—or a strong potential for a deeper connection—with other animals can develop an important way for people to connect with the world around them. This is something The Earth & I  has enjoyed exploring before. While it can be difficult for people to connect to wild animals, companion animals like cats, dogs, and horses can provide an important bridge for feeling more sympathy for other creatures. “I’m not saying [animals’] pain and suffering and joy is the same as ours, but they have their own pain and joy and positive and negative emotions.” “I’ve written a lot about ‘bringing it home’—thinking of companion animals as gateway species for what I call bridging the ‘empathy gap,’ ” Bekoff explained. “I’ll always point out that dogs are mammals, cats are mammals, horses are mammals, so all mammals have pretty much the same neuro-apparatus. I’m not saying all their pain and suffering and joy is the same as ours, but they have their own pain and joy and positive and negative emotions.” For example, as recounted in a 2024 Psychology Today article , Bekoff helped a lot of people in his home state of Colorado develop more sympathy for the wolves reintroduced  in the west Colorado wild in 2023 and 2025 by comparing their emotional lives to those of domestic dogs. According to Dr. Marc Bekoff, it’s antiscientific to believe horses don’t understand human emotions. Rebecca’s Pictures/Pixabay Speaking of his pioneering animal psychology work, he said, “I’m very fortunate that I’ve made a living spending my time around a lot of animals, [which] most people don’t.” He recommends people start by just going to dog parks and watching the dogs’ behavior, even if they don’t have a dog themselves. Then people can expand this experience to wild neighbors by observing the behavior of the squirrels, birds, and even pollinating insects outside. “Just go watch them!” he encouraged. Getting kids involved in programs like his late friend Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots  program is also a great way to jump-start the next generation’s interest in their animal neighbors. Indeed, the children can end up being a link to animals for the adults in their lives. Any method of bridging the empathy gap makes an important difference—and not just for the environment. Growing empathy for animals also increases empathy for other humans. Bekoff is intrigued by the One Welfare framework and research that highlights that connection. “How we treat nonhumans and the environment impacts how we treat others, and if you increase the well-being of nonhumans, you can also increase the well-being of humans,” Bekoff reasons. *Becky Hoag   is a freelance environmental reporter. You can find her work on her site beckyhoag.com  and through her YouTube channel https://youtube.com/beckisphere .

Why America’s Youth-Led Drop in Alcohol Use May Benefit Public Health and the Environment    By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe* A fall-off trend in alcohol drinking is being fueled by Gen Z and Millennials. Cottonbro Studio/Pexels Recent   Gallup polling  shows that alcohol consumption in the United States has dropped to its lowest level in nearly 90 years, with drinkers reporting they are drinking less—and less frequently. A record low of 54% of adults are now drinking in the US, down from 67% just a few years ago. Younger adults, aged 18–35, are driving this decline, as they increasingly prioritize their health. Discussions about declining alcohol use focus on personal health and cultural changes, but an important but less explored angle is the environmental impact of alcohol production and consumption. It begs the question: Could drinking less benefit both people and the planet? Health over Harm Although the scientific consensus on alcohol safety is currently evolving, human civilizations and cultures, with few exceptions, have embraced alcoholic beverages from ancient times to today. “Alcohol has been a ubiquitous presence across diverse societies, from ancient Mesopotamia, where beer was a staple, to the wine-centric cultures of Greece and Rome, and the sake traditions of Japan,” says CyAlcohol,  which publishes articles on the history and world of alcohol. Alcohol markets are all expecting more sales and consumers: The global beer market is expected to grow from $821.39 billion in 2023 to more than $1 trillion by 2030, according to a 2026 Gitnux marketing report . World wine sales, now valued at $71.44 billion, are also expected to grow to $81.69 billion by 2035, reports Business Research Insights , while the global spirits market is expected to increase from its current value of $424.82 billion to $641.84 billion by 2033, says Grand View Research. All these reports, however, note shifts in consumer interests, with rising concerns about health, calorie counts, and environmental sustainability. Meanwhile, public health officials are stepping up their warnings about alcohol intake. According to the World Health Organization , no amount of alcohol is considered completely safe for human consumption. Alcohol use is the primary cause of over 200 diseases and injuries and increases the risk of developing some noncommunicable diseases, including various cancers, cardiovascular strain , and chronic illnesses. It contributes to more than 20,000 annual cancer deaths in the US alone. “It is the most harmful drug—especially due to its vast social harm,” Maik Dünnbier, director of strategy and advocacy at Movendi International , an independent global movement for development through alcohol prevention, told The   Earth & I.   Gallup’s data show a rising public belief that even moderate drinking is harmful—an important social factor in consumption decline. “The changing conversation about alcohol, including the serious doubt that has been cast on decades of studies that claimed alcohol was good for heart health, is probably also having some influence,” Professor David Jernigan, Department of Health Law, Policy, and Management at the Boston University School of Public Health, told The Earth & I. Jernigan coauthored a study  published in 2020 in the  Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs  that examined the alcohol marketing landscape, including the industry’s size, structure, strategies, and public health response . Gallup’s data show a rising public belief that even moderate drinking is harmful—an important social factor in consumption decline. Alcohol’s Environmental Footprint There is now discussion about the alcohol industry’s links to environmental degradation. The processes required to produce the industry’s global alcohol output contribute  to carbon emissions, water depletion, habitat disruption, and waste, but more research is being called for. While the impact of the alcohol industry on the environment is relatively underexplored, what is known is that the alcohol industry is resource-intensive: from crop cultivation for ingredients to energy-heavy fermentation and distillation. “It is massive. A real and growing community concern. And extremely underreported,” said Dünnbier. A Manchester University   study , cited in numerous online sources, estimated that the global alcoholic beverage industry produces around 1.5 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually—comparable to emissions from more than 200 million cars. In its  comprehensive report   on alcohol, Movendi International says that alcohol is an obstacle to sustainable development. Big Liquor ’s challenges are connected to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals , particularly responsible consumption and production (#12), climate action (#13), and life on land (#15). But Movendi International says the impact is greater than that: “Alcohol harm affects 15 of 17 Sustainable Development Goals and all dimensions of development,” Dünnbier said. Waste from packaging and wastewater are also significant but unknown. “It’s a serious problem, but there’s too little documentation of cases in real life and too little scientific study,” Dünnbier said. Knowledge on whether lower consumption meaningfully reduces pressure on municipal waste systems and freshwater ecosystems is therefore not known. “There has been little systematic research on this,” Jernigan confirmed. What scientists do know is that litter from bottles and cans is substantial, particularly in high-drinking environments. Beer can litter can be substantial in high-drinking environments. Mabel Amber/Pexels Emphasizing the global threat posed by climate change,   scientists in a 2024 study  called for more research into the environmental impacts of alcohol production. They stated that, while investigations have been minimal, “the extent of the unfolding catastrophe behooves us to consider all available ways to mitigate unnecessary emissions, including from products such as alcohol.” And Dünnbier adds it’s logical that “reducing the population’s level of alcohol consumption means a reduction in alcohol production and thus a decline in environmental pressures” such as siphoning off groundwater and taking farmland to build breweries and distilleries. Youth Seek Other Drinks There has been a documented shift in attitude among younger people toward drinking alcohol. Gen Z and Millennials increasingly prefer drinking  exotic herb- or spice-infused libations, bottled sodas and teas that are overtly healthy and that may have prebiotics or probiotics added, and concoctions that mimic dessert flavors like pecan pie, tiramisu, or orange sherbet. The more unusual and visually appealing the better. A young woman enjoying a smoothie. Daniel de la Hoz/iStock As younger consumers opt for an alcohol-free lifestyle, this is having a knock-on effect on sales and the viability of large production facilities. Despite market predictions of industry growth, a staggering   $830 billion in market value has been wiped  from the world’s largest beer, wine, and spirits companies over the past four years—now standing at 46% below their June 2021 peak, according to a Bloomberg tracking index. Dwindling liquor consumption, high prices of products, household belt-tightening, and now even tariffs were just a few of the reasons for the downturn. “There is a structural change going on—people are drinking less,” Sarah Simon, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, said in the article in The Drinks Business.   In January 2026, renowned bourbon whiskey producer and 230-year-old industry stalwart  Jim Beam announced that it would be pausing production   at its main Clermont, Kentucky, USA, distillery for the entire year. This is a first cessation for the distillery in the modern era. Forbes blamed the industry decline on a “potent mix of trade tensions, oversupply, shifting consumer habits, and mounting health concerns.” US youth see alcohol use as a hindrance. Yan Krukau/Pexels The phenomenon sparking the alcohol consumption declines among younger generations has been given a name: the   “sober-curious” movement .   This trend is due in part to younger Americans spending more time alone on their phones and less time engaged with peers in behaviors such as drinking. The implications of having their lives captured on social media are also driving the cultural shift, as young people are aware of the reputational and career damage this phenomenon can cause. The fear of social sanctions for not drinking is also disappearing. “This young generation has a greater focus on doing what they can to cope, get and stay engaged, and contribute to change—and in this, they perceive alcohol to be a hindrance,” said Dünnbier. The fear of social sanctions for not drinking is also disappearing.   Environmental awareness and climate activism may also play a key role. “The data that I know shows that values of well-being—living healthy lives—and values of caring about the climate, nature, and the environment—living sustainably—intersect and amplify each other,” said Dünnbier.   Industries’ Big Marketing Influence People have a right to know—anchored in human rights treaties—about risk and harm exposure in their environments and communities. But to alcohol opponents, the alcohol industry works to keep people in the dark about the inherent risks and harm in its products.  In his coauthored study , Jernigan found that advertising expenditure is both high and widespread. Given the world's level of alcohol-related harm, the authors highlighted that, to guide policymakers in effective regulation, recommendations and best practices at global and regional levels are needed. In its   Big Alcohol Exposed Report 2024 and  update, the Big Alcohol Exposed 2025: A Web of Interference , Movendi International identified the alcohol industry’s impact on nature and the environment. “Because of these greenhouse gas emissions, we need to be careful and critical of the alcohol industry’s activity trying to appear responsible, caring, and a ‘good corporate citizen,’” Dünnbier said. Alcohol Production Innovations Striving for circularity  is not new to local or international brewing and distilling. Bridging the Gap , an environmental organization involved in local advocacy and volunteering work in Kansas City, sees area liquor businesses tackling the pollution, water use, and packaging impacts of the industry. Boulevard Brewing Co., for instance, is recycling and composting waste to become a zero-landfill brewing operation. The founders also established Ripple Glass to facilitate the recycling of glass bottles. On the international level, many alcoholic beverage producers have seen the writing on the wall and are taking steps  to address environmental concerns by making bottles lighter (with thinner glass), adopting recyclable packaging materials, using heat pumps for manufacturing needs, and relying on renewables-generated electricity in the production process. Heineken , for example, has made a policy decision to make sustainability the core of its procurement and supply chain systems. One final point emphasized by Movendi International is that the drinking public needs to become far more aware not only of the health consequences of consuming alcohol but of the environmental impact. And this can be done with the help of national-level health advisory groups. Movendi asks: Is there room to soon see environmental considerations integrated into public health guidance? And Dünnbier, referring to Mexican and Nordic dietary guidelines that already exist and that combine public health with environmental and sustainability considerations, said: “Yes, there is room, and it is already being addressed.” *Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe   is a freelance journalist and editor. Over the past 10 years, Natasha has reported for a host of publications, exploring the wider world and industries from environmental, scientific, business, legal, and sociological perspectives. Natasha has also been interviewed as an insight provider for research institutes and conferences.

Anna Heringer Says Sustainability Is Synonymous with Beauty  By Yasmin Prabhudas* The Modern Education and Training Institute (METI) Handmade School “cave” in Bangladesh encourages student relaxation while studying. ©PMK Bauerdick Anna Heringer, architect, author, teacher, and winner of multiple awards, has discovered a secret to beautiful and sustainable building: Form follows love. As a teenager, the German-born Heringer  spent a year in Bangladesh, where she was involved with a nongovernmental organization, Dipshikha . It was there that she learned about sustainable development, traditional building techniques, and local materials. Since then, Heringer has used “low-tech, high-impact solutions”  on three key projects in a village in the Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. The first was the Modern Education and Training Institute (METI) Handmade School ,  which was built in 2005 and won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2007. Next was the DESI Vocational School , constructed in 2008, and then the Anandaloy Building , a center for people with disabilities that is combined with a textile studio, which was completed in 2020. A key feature in these projects was the use of clay in a technique known as cob  (which combines local subsoil, with straw and water). When used along with bamboo, local craftspeople can create durable, innovative buildings. The Anandaloy Building , which has a textile studio,  was created as a center for people with disabilities. ©Stefano Mori An embroidered masterplan of the Anandaloy Building made by local crafters. ©Gunter Konig Some of Heringer’s other projects include bamboo hostels in China ; an Ayurveda center in Germany , which is made of timber, earth, and willow; and the Don Bosco Earth Campus  in Ghana, constructed of soil. Love, Not Fear Heringer’s approach is to improve lives by emphasizing love in architecture. “I realized, especially working in Europe, that a lot of decisions are based on fear, liability,” she tells The Earth & I . “That led to a lot of thoughts—who wants to live in neighborhoods and buildings that are built out of the notion of fear? That results in an overuse of materials, because you want to be on the extra-safe side. So, you put in more steel, you put in more cement, and you take all sorts of paint and varnish to make it look perfect. “The only thing that is stronger than fear is love,” she explains. “It's easy, and so if we start building out of love and respect toward others and toward our beautiful planet, sustainability happens in a completely natural way.” “If we start building out of love and respect toward others and toward our beautiful planet, sustainability happens in a completely natural way.” This approach means looking at what resources are present and recognizing their potential rather than relying on imported goods and materials. It also means taking local skills into account and shaping architecture so imperfections are accepted and improvisation can take place. Joyful Living and Inclusivity Tied to the idea of love is joyful living. Heringer comments: “I think the biggest joy is when […] people came together and helped build each other’s homes.” She adds: “Our projects, quite basically, are involving other people, locals, and using a very inclusive material like earth. You could have kids help in building the school in Bangladesh […] and even people with disabilities. When you have a material where you need sophisticated tools that can harm you, it's not really inclusive. If you have materials that are toxic, it's not inclusive. So, through working with earth, we have this inclusivity, and we can bring back the joy and the community bonding effect.” Sustainability Sustainability is a synonym for beauty , claims Heringer. “ Beauty ,” she says, “is really when something is deeply in harmony, not just on a formal level, but also on a social level, and in harmony with nature.” The structure should also be replicable and consist of the same materials that local people use at home. To ensure the structures stand the test of time, Heringer’s team creates strong  foundations and roofs, so the earth is protected from the elements. A Heringer team planning meeting at the Anandaloy Building. ©Benjamin Staehli  Her flagship project, the two-story METI school , demonstrates this principle. It offers ground-floor classrooms with “thick earth walls” that open to a system of “caves” and an upper floor consisting of bamboo walls with a vibrant sari-canopied ceiling. The traditional materials are reinforced by foundations  built from brick masonry and finished with a cement plaster, a damp-proof course made of polyethylene film (available locally), and a corrugated iron roof, supported by bamboo rafters, providing optimal runoff.  The two-story METI school is Heringer’s flagship project. ©Benjamin Staehli Every project is evaluated to determine its environmental impact ,  and efforts are made to enhance the local ecology. Learning from the Material Heringer describes how the METI project   has influenced her. The caves, she says, arose out of the “material language,” while the “bending strength” of the bamboo gave the caves their final shape. “You can trust in the material. And you know when you use beautiful materials, then there can also be some imperfection, which is beautiful.” “You can trust in the material. And you know when you use beautiful materials, then there can also be some imperfection, which is beautiful. […] Earth is an element. It's not just a building material, and you feel it. So, I know, as an architect, I can lean a bit back and don't have to do such a bold thing, because I know that the material itself has already a beautiful voice,” she says. The METI school in Bangladesh strives for beauty. ©B.K.S. Inan—Aga Khan Award for architecture Workers at the Don Bosco Earth Campus finish classrooms ©Studio A. Heringer One of Heringer’s current projects is the Don Bosco Earth Campus  in Tatale, Ghana. The school aims to prevent an exodus from the countryside to cities by providing training in sustainable construction techniques, agriculture, and electrical work. It will also offer student and teacher accommodations, a community hall, and library. Heringer is taken aback by the beauty of the orange soil from which it is being built. “Every moment in a day, when the light is changing, it looks completely different. And sometimes you have the feeling, even when the sun goes down a bit, it starts glowing on its own,” Heringer says. “It's an incredible effect, but you feel like real nature is a cooperator here. It's not you creating something out of nature. No, there is a voice there too, and you are just a part of it. And it is also a humbling experience to say, ‘OK you don't have to do the whole drama on your own.’” Workers at the Don Bosco Earth Campus prepare earth floors. ©Studio A. Heringer “Architecture has always been a community. […] No one can build the house alone. It's always a team effort.” The women participating in the build were using the atakpame technique , which caught Heringer by surprise. It involves shaping the earth with their hands rather than tools, resulting in curved rather than straight windows. Heringer believes this will lead to greater authenticity, which can be enhanced and exaggerated. “These,” she says, “are the things that are happening on the site out of the process when you’re working together.” The Don Bosco Earth Campus team, including Anna Heringer (red top). ©Studio A. Heringer Anna Heringer. ©Gerald v. Foris The processes of building are just as important as the outcome, Heringer says. “There is so much social power in those processes that we completely neglect, and we see how dramatically we drift apart as a society. […] Architecture has always been a community. […] No one can build the house alone. It's always a team effort.” Clay Storming At the University of Lichtenstein, where Heringer teaches, she tries to communicate this message to her students. Together with Martin Rauch , she has developed “ clay storming , ” which involves designing directly onto a model. The approach emphasizes intuition rather than analytical planning and can be used while working alone, in a team, or with clients. She has also drawn up the Laufen Manifesto , a set of guidelines for creating a “humane” design culture. “ It's not a question of money, in the end,”  Heringer concludes. “I t's a question of care and love and respect for the material.” *Yasmin Prabhudas   is a freelance journalist working mainly for nonprofit organizations, labor unions, the education sector, and government agencies.

Ice lagoon at the foot of the Vatnajökull Glacier, Iceland, 2023. Wikimedia Glaciers—icons of the Earth’s climate crisis—are not just shrinking in volume; scientists have now forecast when the rate  of glacier disappearances will reach its zenith in this century. In a groundbreaking Nature  study, glaciologists have shifted focus from traditional mass-loss metrics to the number of individual glaciers vanishing each year under different climate warming scenarios. Their findings underscore a sobering reality: Without aggressive cuts to emissions, the world could witness thousands of glaciers disappearing annually by mid-century. This emerging narrative of a “ peak glacier extinction ” —when the annual count of disappearing glaciers is highest—reveals not only how much ice is lost but how rapidly these frozen landscapes could vanish as distinct structures. Beyond scientific metrics, loss of these glaciers carries cultural, ecological, and hydrological consequences for communities tied to mountain water resources and winter tourism. Highlights from the Nature study: The Nature study  analyzed more than 200,000 glaciers using the Randolph Glacier Inventory version 6.0, allowing projections of individual glacier “extinction” dates through 2100. Current modeled loss of glaciers is roughly 750–800 a year. Under different warming scenarios, the annual number of glaciers disappearing globally is expected  to reach its highest point between the early 2040s and mid-2050s. Annual disappearance rates  are estimated to be around 2,000 glaciers per year under a +1.5°C warming scenario and 4,000 glaciers per year under a +4.0°C warming scenario. Assuming  temperatures rise by +4.0°C, then about 18,000 glaciers would remain worldwide. On the other hand, warming capped at +1.5°C could preserve approximately 100,000 glaciers. Smaller glaciers—common in regions like the European Alps, the Caucasus, and the Andes—are projected  to disappear earlier (often before 2040), while larger glacier populations (e.g., in Arctic Canada and near Greenland) may peak later due to slower response times. After the mid-century peak, projected  annual glacier disappearances decline only gradually—but do not stop, indicating ongoing decline into the late 21st century and beyond. Why This Matters This new “peak glacier loss” framing provides a vivid indicator of how the climate crisis could be reshaping Earth’s cryosphere (portions of Earth’s surface where water is solid). It highlights a timeline of change—not just cumulative loss—and underscores the urgency of preserving these vital components of Earth’s water cycle and climate system. Limiting warming to the Paris Agreement’s targets could meaningfully reduce the number of glaciers that vanish before 2100, the Nature study authors wrote. Sources: “Peak glacier extinction in the mid-twenty-first century”— Nature Climate Change : https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02513-9   Nature “A stunning new forecast shows when thousands of glaciers will vanish”—ScienceDaily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251219030455.htm   ScienceDaily

Countries’ Emission Mitigations Effective Even as Economies Expand Annual emissions of carbon dioxide, by country, for the six countries with the most annual emissions. RCraig09 / Wikimedia A decade after the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, new analysis  from the UK’s Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) reveals a striking shift: Economic expansion no longer guarantees carbon emissions growth, thanks to countries’ carbon emission mitigation efforts. The 2025 ECIU report, “10 Years Post-Paris: How emissions decoupling has progressed globally,” examines emissions and GDP trends across 113 countries, offering the most comprehensive look yet at decoupling since Paris. While global CO₂ emissions continue to rise, there is clear momentum toward cleaner energy growth—many economies are now growing without a corresponding rise in emissions, and an expanding group are even reducing emissions in absolute terms while their economies expand. Here are key data points from the report: The 113 nations examined represented more than 97% of global GDP and 93% of global emissions. Ninety-two percent of global GDP is in countries that have absolutely  or relatively  decoupled CO₂ emissions from economic growth since 2015. The study defines absolute decoupling as emissions falling even as GDP grows and  relative decoupling as emissions rising more slowly than GDP. Eighty-nine percent of global emissions come from decoupled economies—up sharply from the pre-Paris era. Growth in decoupling before the Paris Agreement (2005–2014): 32 countries achieved absolute decoupling. 35 countries achieved relative decoupling. Growth in decoupling since Paris (2015–2023): 43 countries achieved absolute decoupling (emissions falling while GDP grows). 40 countries achieved relative decoupling. Countries with absolute decoupling now represent 46.3% of global GDP and 36.1% of global emissions. The share of the global economy (GDP) in decoupled economies has climbed from 77% before Paris to 92% post-Paris. Global annual CO₂ emissions have effectively plateaued  since 2015, rising by only about 1.17% over eight years, compared with an 18.4% increase in the decade before Paris. Significance of the Findings Aggregate global CO₂ emissions growth has slowed markedly in the Paris era compared with the decade before, illustrating structural shifts in energy systems (less rapid emissions growth relative to economic expansion). The findings suggest that decoupling—once seen as a theoretical goal—is now a practical reality for most of the world’s economy. This trend offers policymakers evidence that economic development and climate action can be mutually compatible, though substantial emissions reductions must accelerate further to meet net-zero targets. The full ECIU report, “10 Years Post-Paris: How emissions decoupling has progressed globally,” was published Dec. 11, 2025.

More and more plastic is polluting the natural world. iStock In 2020, the Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ published Breaking the Plastic Wave , a pioneering report that detailed how global plastic pollution was projected to nearly triple by 2040 unless bold action was taken to significantly curb pollution. Five years later, Pew’s Breaking the Plastic Wave 2025  update offers a more complete picture of how plastics are impacting people, economies, and ecosystems worldwide. The new report revisits the original projections but expands the analysis beyond ocean pollution to include land, air, human health, and climate impacts. It also offers modeling of scenarios showing how ambitious, coordinated action could nearly reverse the trajectory of plastic pollution within a generation. Key Data from Breaking the Plastic Wave 2025 In 2025, approximately 130 million metric tons (Mt) of plastic polluted the environment—including on land, in the air, and in water. Without mitigation, this figure is projected to rise to 280 Mt per year by 2040—equivalent to dumping a garbage truck’s worth of plastic waste every second. Annual primary plastic production is expected to grow 52%, from about 450 Mt in 2025 to 680 Mt in 2040, far outpacing improvements in waste management.  Even with investments, waste collection and disposal capacity is projected to increase only 26% by 2040.  Thus, the proportion of uncollected plastic waste is expected to rise from 19% to 34% over the same period.  Health impacts associated with plastic production, use, and pollution are projected to increase by 75% by 2040 if no action is taken.  Annual government spending on plastic collection and disposal is projected to reach $140 billion by 2040—roughly 30% higher than in 2025. Annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the global plastic system could rise by 58% by 2040, totaling about 4.2 gigatons CO₂ equivalent.   Microplastics comprised 13% of global plastic pollution in 2025.  Key pollution sources include tire wear and paint (10 Mt each), agriculture (3 Mt), and recycling processes (2 Mt). Without intervention, microplastic pollution could rise from 17 Mt to 26 Mt annually by 2040. Important Takeaway: The 2025 update to Breaking the Plastic Wave  finds the plastic pollution problem is larger and more complex than previously quantified. Yet, the new report also shows that strategic, integrated action could drastically reduce pollution and unlock economic and social benefits if implemented swiftly and globally.

Technique Could Address Pollution and Climate Change Simultaneously The material BAETA is “upcycled” from PET plastic through a chemical process. Max Emil Madsen/University of Copenhagen A team of chemis ts at the University of Copenhagen has developed a promising new method  to transform common PET plastic waste—the plastic most frequently used in bottles, food packaging, and textiles —into a carbon-capture material with potential uses in industrial emissions control, offering a rare dual solution  to plastic pollution and climate change. The breakthrough centers on a chemical process called aminolysis , in which discarded polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is treated with 1,2-ethylenediamine at a mild temperature of about 60 °C for 24 hours. This simple, solvent- and catalyst-free reaction breaks down the long polymer chains and rebuilds them into a new compound named N¹,N⁴-bis(2-aminoethyl)terephthalamide (BAETA for short). The BAETA product is a powdery, pelletizable material  that has shown excellent carbon dioxide capture performance. Laboratory tests  indicate it can selectively bind CO₂ from environments as varied as industrial flue gas and ambient air, even under humid conditions. BAETA’s chemical stability up to at least 250°C makes it suitable for deployment in high-temperature emissions streams, a key requirement for many industrial carbon-capture scenarios. A Process Scalable and Regenerable One of the most striking aspects of the research is its scalability: The process has already been demonstrated at the kilogram level using actual consumer PET waste, not just laboratory reagent plastics. This suggests that, with further development, the method could be applied to real waste streams  rather than idealized samples. Another advantage of BAETA is its regenerability. After binding CO₂, the material can be heated to about 150°C to release the captured gas, allowing the same BAETA sorbent to be reused across many cycles  without significant degradation—an important practical and economic featur e for industrial carbon-capture technologies. Working in their lab are two members of the team of scientists who created the new carbon-capture material. Max Emil Madsen/University of Copenhagen Researchers emphasize that their approach does not conflict with conventional recycling systems. Instead, BAETA production targets PET that is difficult to recycle—such as mixed or colored plastics —leaving higher-quality feedstock for traditional mechanical recycling efforts. Published in Science Advances , this work  adds to a growing field of plastic upcycling strategies that aim to create value-added products from waste—an important shift in thinking as global plastics production continues to climb and the need for scalable carbon management tools becomes more urgent. If successfully scaled, the technology could pave a pathway toward tackling two of the world’s most entrenched environmental challenges—plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions—with a single, chemistry-driven solution .

Controlled burns can mitigate future wildfire severity. Wikimedia For much of the last century, wildfire policy in the western United States has focused on limiting or suppressing burned areas while declining to thin or control forest overgrowth and old, dry wood. A recent analysis presented at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) reveals that many western US ecosystems are now experiencing a profound “fire deficit”—meaning the environment has gone far longer without fire than natural historical patterns suggest. According to the study , restoring environmental health will require burning almost 4 million acres a year through a combination of natural fires and prescribed burns. “Conditions are getting so warm and dry that it’s causing huge amounts of fire compared to the historical record,” said Winslow Hansen, director of the  Western Fire and Forest Resilience Collaborative  and a scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, in the AGU press release . “However, we still are dealing with the legacy of 150 years of fire suppression. Together, drying conditions and overly dense fuels portend a challenging and more fiery future.” Key Data Points from the Study Nearly 74% of the western United States is in a fire deficit, meaning these landscapes have experienced significantly less fire than expected, based on historical fire return intervals. Approximately 38 million hectares (94 million acres) of land across the western US are overdue for fire. This ecological imbalance is the result of long-term fire suppression, which has contributed to uncontrolled buildup of dense vegetation and tinder. To eliminate the fire deficit over the next decade, about 3.8 million hectares per year would need to burn. That is roughly three times the area burned during the record 2020 wildfire season. Why It Matters The study reframes wildfire risk in the western US not simply as a consequence of climate change or extreme weather but as the result of inadequate forest management. Even current natural wildfire activity is insufficient to restore historical fire regimes. Without proactive strategies—such as prescribed burning and landscape-scale management of flammable tinder—the growing fire deficit may continue to drive increasingly severe and uncontrollable wildfires, with consequences for biodiversity, carbon storage, air quality, and human communities. Source: American Geophysical Union press release , “Nearly three-quarters of western U.S. overdue for wildfires”

A reusable British shopping bag. Wikimedia A new national study released by Ceres in partnership with Northwind Climate explores how US adults think about the environment when they shop for goods and what drives—or prevents—them from acting on those intentions. Drawing on monthly surveys of more than 2,500 adults, the research finds that interest in sustainable products has grown in recent years; yet, structural and psychological barriers still influence purchase decisions. The report identifies a value-action gap  that says that while many consumers express a preference for environmentally friendly goods, actual purchases depend on trust, perceived value, and clarity of sustainability information. The study uses Northwind Climate’s Value Segmentation model to show that psychological motivation—not age, income, or demographics—better predicts whether someone will follow through on sustainable shopping intentions. Highlights from the Study Of the more than 2,500 US adults polled monthly, 3 in 4 consumers now actively or passively prefer environmentally friendly goods. More than half of respondents report their interest in buying sustainable products has grown in the past few years. Two-thirds of Americans are willing to pay more for sustainable products, even if others won’t know they did so. High earners and highly motivated consumers are more likely to pay more for sustainable products, with 36% of those earning more than $150,000 agreeing they are more likely to “choose the sustainable option even if it costs more.” Cost, perceived quality, and lack of credibility remain key reasons consumers opt out at the point of purchase, with 23% saying they would buy the sustainable option if it cost about the same as the one they normally buy. Important Takeaway The report’s segmentation shows that psychology—not demographics—best predicts sustainable purchase behavior, ranging from highly motivated “Climate Doers” to skeptical “Climate Deniers.” The full report is available from Ceres’ Resources page.

An eco-unfriendly gift. iStock Maybe it’s time to show nature a little more love on Valentine’s Day. With increased scrutiny of the environmental footprint of human activities, there are many ways in which the traditional ways of celebrating the holiday of love do not benefit the environment. Valentine’s Day’s Eco-Footprint: Last year (2025), consumers in the UK were expected  to spend £1.37 billion ($1.6 billion) on Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day has the highest percentage  of flowers purchased per holiday in the US. About 80% of them are imported, mostly from Colombia and Ecuador, where high amounts of pesticides, fertilizers, and water are used to grow them.  In 2024, the US  spent an estimated $2.6 billion on Valentine’s Day flowers —the majority of them roses.  Global  cut flower sales for Valentine’s are greater than $5 billion.  According to an article  in Green Horizons , an online publication of All-Ireland Sustainability, it is estimated that 1.3 billion greeting cards are purchased in the UK each year, with only a fraction recycled. An estimated  145 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, many of which end up in landfills. Cards with glitter, foil, or plastic embellishments cannot be recycled. Despite a steady decrease in the number of Americans celebrating Valentine’s Day— just 54.5%  on average over the past 13 years—the average person spent $23.75  on Valentine cards over the past 11 years. Americans consume  58 million pounds of chocolate  each year over the week of Valentine's Day. Producing a pound of chocolate takes over  1,180 gallons of water . A Florida university  institute suggests giving locally sourced plants and flowers; organic fair-trade chocolates; sending digital greeting cards; and going for walks, making homemade dinners, or volunteering together as environmentally friendly Valentine’s Day traditions.

Deep-Sea Trench Expeditions Reveal Rich Ecosystems, Reshaping Views of Life’s Limits Tubeworms are dominant at 6,870 meters (22,500 feet) at the Aleutian Trench, with spots of white microbial mats interspersed. Credit: Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, CAS (IDSSE, CAS) A series of recent deep-ocean expeditions have uncovered astonishing animal communities  thriving at extreme depths—in places long thought too hostile for complex life. These findings , drawn from multiple trench systems in the Pacific Ocean, are expanding scientists’ understanding of how life adapts to crushing pressure, perpetual darkness, and scarce food resources. The most dramatic discoveries come from the Mariana Trench and nearby hadal trenches —the deepest parts of the world’s oceans. Using the Chinese submersible Fendouzhe , researchers made repeated dives, observing colonies of tubeworms, bivalves (clams and other mollusks), crustaceans, sea cucumbers, and other invertebrates thriving at depths approaching 9.5 kilometers (nearly 6 miles) below sea level. These are the deepest known animal communities  documented to date. Unlike most ecosystems that rely on sunlight and photosynthesis, these deep-sea communities derive their energy  through chemosynthesis—a process by which microbes convert chemicals like hydrogen sulfide and methane seeping from the ocean floor into usable energy. Larger animals either feed on these microbes or maintain symbiotic relationships with them. Life’s Adaptability Video and imagery released  alongside the research show dense fields of tubeworms, some nearly a foot long, interspersed with beds of bivalves and clusters of other invertebrates. Scientists also observed free-floating marine worms, sea lilies, and spiky crustaceans—an unexpectedly complex community for such extreme conditions. These ecosystems  were found not only in the Mariana Trench but span at least 1,500 miles across hadal trenches that include the Kuril-Kamchatka and Aleutian systems, hinting that chemosynthesis-based communities may be far more widespread than previously thought. The discoveries are forcing researchers to rethink ocean biology and the so-called “limits” of life. In addition to macrofauna, deeper biological investigations—like the MEER project’s metagenomic surveys —reveal astonishing microbial diversity  at similar depths, with thousands of previously undocumented species exhibiting unique evolutionary adaptations to pressure and nutrient scarcity. These findings are timely as governments and industry explore deep-sea mining for minerals—a practice that scientists warn could irreparably damage fragile ecosystems  that science is only beginning to understand. Studying these deep communities not only enriches knowledge of Earth’s biodiversity but also informs broader questions about life’s resilience—including the possibility of similar ecosystems on icy ocean worlds beyond Earth. Life Adapted to Extremes Researchers say the animals inhabiting these hadal-zone ecosystems survive through a suite of remarkable physiological and biochemical adaptations . At pressures exceeding 1,000 times that at sea level, many organisms possess pressure-tolerant proteins and cell membranes that remain flexible rather than collapsing under compression. Genetic analyses show altered enzyme structures  that continue functioning despite intense pressure and near-freezing temperatures. Some species  exhibit slow metabolic rates, conserving energy in an environment where food is scarce and unpredictable. Microbial studies  suggest that many deep-sea organisms also carry genes associated with DNA repair, helping them withstand constant cellular stress.