Fungi could be the key to winning the war on plastic, leading scientists at Kew Gardens has said. The first ever report on the state of the world’s fungi has today revealed that if the natural properties of fungus can be harnessed and developed, plastic could be broken down naturally in weeks rather than years. Kew Gardens and a team of over 100 scientists from 18 … [Read more...]
Water sector in South Africa needs to transform to a circular economy
Implementation of circular economy principles in the South African water sector is in line with the United Nations sustainable development goals as well as the Paris Agreement on climate change to which South Africa is a signatory. The concept of a circular economy has received significant attention on various platforms. In contrast to the current conventional linear … [Read more...]
Carbon emissions to lower food crop quality by 2050
A new study highlights a lesser-known but serious consequence of the climate crisis for hundreds of millions of people around the world—major nutritional deficiencies that are likely to hit impoverished populations the hardest, as carbon dioxide emissions seriously affect the quality of food crops. The study, completed by scientists at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public … [Read more...]
Going further than just #plasticfreejuly
After the hype surrounding #plasticfreejuly and the war on straws soars to new heights, the question is: How do we all take our waste conscious attitude further in a truly sustainable way? “Ultimately, we should aim for zero waste ending up at a landfill, so the #plasticfree challenge really should continue throughout the year,” says Leon Grobbelaar, President of the … [Read more...]
Can this herbicide commonly used in SA give you cancer?
A herbicide that is believed to cause cancer is widely in use in South Africa. And, according to organic farmer Angus McIntosh, it can be found "in every loaf of bread sold in every shop in this country" and "in all processed foods, tinned foods and ready-made meals… consumed by most people every day". Glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup, a herbicide used … [Read more...]
Industrial fishing is dominated by just a few of the world’s wealthiest nations
Recent research found that, despite having expanded into 90 percent of the world’s oceans, the industrial fishing fleets of the top 20 fishing countries in the world are catching less than a third of the fish they hauled in prior to 1950. Findings like these are increasingly calling into question the sustainability of how we exploit global fisheries even as the global human … [Read more...]
Antarctica is melting three times as fast as a decade ago
Between 60 and 90 percent of the world’s fresh water is frozen in the ice sheets of Antarctica, a continent roughly the size of the United States and Mexico combined. If all that ice melted, it would be enough to raise the world’s sea levels by roughly 200 feet. While that won’t happen overnight, Antarctica is indeed melting, and a study published Wednesday in the journal … [Read more...]
Sea salt around the world is contaminated by plastic
Sea salt around the world has been contaminated by plastic pollution, adding to experts’ fears that microplastics are becoming ubiquitous in the environment and finding their way into the food chain via the salt in our diets. New studies have shown that tiny particles have been found in sea salt in the UK, France and Spain, as well as China and now the US. Researchers … [Read more...]
Ocean wilderness ‘disappearing’ globally
Scientists have mapped marine "wilderness" areas around the world for the first time. These are regions minimally impacted by human activities such as fishing, pollution and shipping. The team, led by researchers in Australia, found that just 13.2% of the world's oceans could be classed as wilderness - most in international waters, away from human populations. Very few … [Read more...]
Earth is running out of the resources to sustain life
One of the world's largest banks says the planet is running out of resources and warns that neither governments nor companies are prepared for climate change. The world spent its entire natural resource budget for the year by August 1, a group of analysts at HSBC said in a note that cited research from the Global Footprint Network (GFN). That means that the world's … [Read more...]
Can crab shells and trees replace plastics?
An eco-friendly material made from crab shells and trees could replace plastic food packaging, according to US researchers. The material – made by spraying alternating layers of crab-shell chitin and tree cellulose onto a surface – is described in a paper in ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. Like plastic, when dried the material is tough, malleable and transparent. … [Read more...]
Using yesterday’s mining techniques to recycle today’s batteries
Researchers at Michigan Technological University are using century-old mining techniques to recycle lithium-ion batteries at low cost. It helps that Lei Pan, an assistant professor of chemical engineering, has a graduate degree in mining engineering. Pan had a suspicion the techniques used in the mining industry 100 years ago to separate metal from ore might work for recycling … [Read more...]
Australia to ‘vehemently’ oppose Japan push to ease whaling ban
Australia Thursday vowed to "vehemently" oppose a new push by Japan to undermine a global moratorium on commercial whaling, and urged like-minded nations to stand firm against Tokyo. Japan has regularly sought an easing of the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) prohibition on commercial whaling and continues to kill the animals under what it calls a “scientific … [Read more...]
