insert_link Health / Medical Scientists and doctors raise global alarm over hormone-disrupting chemicals A farmer spraying pesticides in a rice field. Image by Galeri ega via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). By Alden Wicker via Mongabay A new report makes the strong case that a class of industrial chemicals called endocrine disruptors are behind many diseases on the rise globally. The report calls for stronger global regulations controlling their use and release into the environment. A joint effort by the Endocrine Society and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), the report includes […] todayMarch 5, 2024 32
insert_link Environment Nile Basin farmers grow food forests to restore wetlands and bring back a turtle By David Njagi via Mongabay In the 44 years Naomi Rita Sitati has lived in Bukirimo village in western Kenya, she has known only one system of farming, which her community has depended on for generations. Cultivating sugarcane as the only crop in large plots is a common practice in the region, which is part of the larger Nile Basin, and Sitati was happy with it. Apart from creating jobs for […] todayFebruary 29, 2024 24
insert_link Environment Fossil Fuels Drive Both The Plastics And Climate Crises & Need An International Framework To Phase Them Out On the opening day of the 6th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) meeting, environmental experts and advocates united to demand decisive action against the ongoing climate and plastics crises fueled by fossil fuels. Hellen Kahaso Dena, Project Lead of the Pan-Africa Plastics Project at Greenpeace Africa, emphasized the dire need for a robust Global Plastics Treaty. "Our planet is drowning in plastic, a crisis intricately linked to […] todayFebruary 27, 2024 20
insert_link Environment Can bioplastics help shape a more sustainable future? Mike DiGirolamo holding a boomerang produced by the ARC Training Centre for Bioplastics and Biocompositses. Image by Nicolas Rakotopare for Mongabay. By Abhishyant Kidangoor, Mike DiGirolamo via Mongabay As the world struggles to contain plastic pollution, eco-friendly alternatives to plastics have garnered attention in recent years. One example: Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a naturally occurring bio-based polymer, have been touted as a potential solution. Biotechnology startups have enthusiastically embraced the functional and economic […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 19
insert_link Africa Lagos styrofoam, plastics ban brings applause and concern From trash-strewn pavements to street vendors packing meals in polystyrene containers, plastic waste is a constant menace in the urban landscape of Lagos, Nigeria's economic capital and the continent's most populous city. That image could soon change if the local Lagos State government manages to implement its recent ambitious ban on the use of polystyrene and single-use plastics. Sunday's announcement of the ban on styrofoam boxes and single-use plastics, "with […] todayJanuary 25, 2024 24