Environment

Environment

In September, a firework display on the ecologically delicate Tibetan Plateau was widely criticized for the pollution and environmental damage that might result.

Two fatty acids often used in dairy products might help to give civet coffee its distinctive flavour. The unusual brew, otherwise known as Kopi Luwak, is made by roasting coffee beans that have been eaten and excreted by Asian palm civets ( Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). Researchers found that these fatty acids appeared at a higher concentration in beans taken from civet faeces than in those taken directly from the plant. This difference is probably caused by fermentation in the civet guts, with Gluconobacter gut bacteria and their enzymes playing a key part, the team says.

Communities transform when environmental responsibility shapes their infrastructure strategies. Roads, bridges, and urban systems define daily life, and each decision about materials affects long-term ecological stability. Engineers, contractors, and planners seek methods that preserve natural resources while maintaining structural strength. Governments and local builders benefit when infrastructure projects adopt circular practices. Recycling asphalt saves money by reducing the need for new production and transport. Reclaimed materials also perform comparably to newly manufactured options, offering durability and strength without compromising safety.

Communities transform when environmental responsibility shapes their infrastructure strategies. Roads, bridges, and urban systems define daily life, and each decision about materials affects long-term ecological stability. Engineers, contractors, and planners seek methods that preserve natural resources while maintaining structural strength. Governments and local builders benefit when infrastructure projects adopt circular practices. Recycling asphalt saves money by reducing the need for new production and transport. Reclaimed materials also perform comparably to newly manufactured options, offering durability and strength without compromising safety.

Bill Gates is urging the world to rethink its approach to climate change, arguing that an overly catastrophic narrative is driving resources away from the solutions that could have the greatest impact on human welfare. In a lengthy memo published Tuesday morning-coinciding with his 70th birthday-the Microsoft cofounder and billionaire philanthropist challenged what he called a "doomsday view of climate change" that he believes is causing policymakers to "focus too much on near-term emissions goals" at the expense of more effective interventions.

For Lenovo executive director of global environmental, social and governance (ESG) and regulatory compliance Mary Jacques, driving hardware innovation at Lenovo has been front and centre of its environmental sustainability initiatives along the road to net zero - with Scope 3 emissions "by far" having the greatest impact. And then there is the use of sold products and purchase of goods and services, Jacques says: "We didn't call it circularity until 5-10 years ago, but it's part of our DNA."

In September, the outdoor adventure website Kühl released its list of the most outdoorsy states in the U.S. To understate which state loves to get out for a hike, bike, or a camp most, the team analyzed Google search data for 14 outdoor activities, including fishing, backpacking, birding, skiing, swimming, and kayaking, across each state between August 2024 to August 2025. It then adjusted the results per 100,000 residents to accurately compare populations.

Welcome to Cold Call, where we dive deep into Harvard Business School's groundbreaking case studies. It's been 10 years since 195 nations signed the Paris Agreement, the landmark international treaty that formalized the concept of net zero emissions. Today, thousands of companies around the world have set ambitious goals to achieve net zero emissions, including Tata Power, India's oldest and largest private power producer.

Hot conditions and Santa Ana winds will hit Southern California this week, beginning the fall wildfire season in earnest as the region continues to recover from January's devastating firestorms. Though no red flag warnings have yet been issued, both the Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valley foothills will have elevated fire risks once the winds arrive, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld.

Branford Public Schools has signed a 10-year, $60 million (€55 million) transportation contract with California-based Zum, marking the first agreement of its kind in Connecticut and setting the district on a path to a fully electric school bus fleet within five years. The Branford initiative aligns with Connecticut's legislative goal of deploying zero-emission school buses in environmental justice communities by 2030. The project is supported by federal and state funding programs, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Rebate Program, with allocations exceeding $6 million (€5.6 million) for vehicle and infrastructure costs.

The thing about acorns is they aren't intended to be digested whole, so any animal that eats them that way is going to expel them that way.

So when you're looking to reduce the carbon footprint from your household appliances , the refrigerator is naturally one of the first places you look. Refrigerators aren't actually the worst emissions offenders in the home - that dubious honor goes to air conditioners - but they do account for about 4% of a home's emissions. That's 89 kg of CO2/year , and it adds up over the lifetime of the appliance.

Yosemite National Park is famous for its towering granite, thundering waterfalls and world-class hiking trails. The stunning heart of the park, Yosemite Valley, is extremely popular and almost always filled with humans - and perhaps that's why the park's wildlife tends to fly under the radar. In fact, not a single book in the past 100 years has been solely dedicated to the creatures of Yosemite.

Industries and individuals around the world burned record amounts of oil, gas and coal last year, releasing more greenhouse gases than ever before, a group of leading scientists said in a new report, warning that humanity is hurtling toward "climate chaos." The surge in global use of fossil fuels in 2024 contributed to extreme weather and devastating disasters including heat waves, storms, floods and wildfires.

The Navy purchases the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard and turns it into a hub for shipbuilding and repair. By the end of World War II, the site has grown to nearly one thousand acres - almost five miles of berths, seventeen miles of railroad track, 200 buildings and six dry docks.

Let's recognise our failure, he told the Guardian and Amazon-based news organisation Sumauma. The truth is that we have failed to avoid an overshooting above 1.5C in the next few years. And that going above 1.5C has devastating consequences. Some of these devastating consequences are tipping points, be it in the Amazon, be it in Greenland, or western Antarctica or the coral reefs. He said the priority at Cop30 was to shift direction:

Under the terms of the 2015 agreement, world leaders pledged to limit the average global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and pursue efforts to cap it at 1.5 degrees. Countries also agreed to renew and communicate their targets every five years. The latest submission deadline was earlier this year, and the pressure is now on for states to announce their latest commitments to moving away from fossil fuels.

The Bay Area is more than halfway toward its goal of restoring 100,000 acres of tidal wetlands, which are a natural buffer to floodwaters from future sea level rise.