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Waste colonialism deepens Asia's plastic crisis

‘Out of sight, out of mind’ is a typical approach to waste and is one of the main reasons why the waste trade persists. The world discovered that toxic waste was being dumped in Africa and other developing countries in the 1980s, and since 1988, more than a quarter of a billion tons of plastic […]

Why local Indigenous action matters more to me than COP29

The first United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that I worked on was in 2009. I didn’t actually go but rather volunteered for Farhana Yamin representing the Marshall Islands, doing some research. She invited me to come and her delegation would pay half of my ticket and accommodation. She said she would give […]

Will Europe's new environment chief shift Sweden's conservation stance?

The evidence is irrefutable: Sweden has spent the last few years trying to frustrate any EU-proposed measures to protect forests. A brief – and far from comprehensive – snapshot of this unhappy record reads as follows: In 2021, a leaked EU Forest Strategy draft revealed European Commission (EC) plans to reduce the clear-cutting that’s ravaged […]

Putting forest conservation pledges to the test

In late September 2014 a besuited and bearded Leonardo DiCaprio stood at the grey marble dais in the UN General Assembly in New York and declared somberly that world leaders had to ‘make history or be vilified by it.’ The pressure was mounting for climate action and governments, companies and NGOs responded with a blizzard […]

Inclusive conservation tracking can better recognize local stewardship

To help address the biodiversity crisis, momentum has been gaining around establishing and tracking protected areas (PAs) and Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) to achieve 30-by-30, the conserving of 30% of our Earth by 2030. However, a wide variety of conservation efforts occur beyond PAs and OECMs, often led by actors that are traditionally […]

COP16 must turn ocean promises into action

Our ocean is being hit hard by global warming. Marine heatwaves are devastating coral reefs, triggering the largest global mass bleaching event on record last year, while ocean wildlife — already struggling from overfishing — faces mounting challenges. New research shows a 56% decline in marine species populations since 1970. Simply put, our blue ocean […]

Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh dies, aged 84

On Friday, American musician and songwriter Phil Lesh died surrounded by loved ones. The former bassist and vocalist of rock band Grateful Dead was 84. His family announced his death via Instagram, with no cause

COP16 must confront the legacy of fortress conservation

The world’s leading conservationists will flock to Cali, Colombia, this October for the U.N. biodiversity conference, COP16. Within Cali’s bustling urban environment, it’s easy to forget that the city lies at the foothills of Los Farallones de Cali, a major biodiversity hotspot and national park in the Andean mountain range. Migratory birds fly overhead and […]

Hololive VTuber Watson Amelia holds last livestream

Watson Amelia, a member of the English-speaking branch of VTuber agency Hololive Production did her last live stream on Monday, September 30, officially ceasing her streaming activities on Tuesday, October 1. This…

Asia's informal workers are essential to cutting plastic pollution

Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, a waste worker from Binh Dinh, Vietnam, has worked in the waste collection industry for four decades. She has spent every day at the landfill – her home and source of income – since she was a child. Like many developing economies in the region, Vietnam has limited household waste separation. […]

Europe must hold its course on deforestation rules

A pioneering law under attack The world’s governments have long acknowledged the need to halt and reverse the loss of the planet’s precious forests, not least because of the contribution that loss is having on the global climate. There is also consensus that by far the largest driver of deforestation – and associated negative impacts […]