Latest Stories
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Earth’s 2019 resources ‘budget’ already used
Will it take a disaster to teach us to live within our means? As of today, humans have consumed more resources than Planet Earth can regenerate in a year — a worse record than last year.
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Historic heatwave shatters records in Europe
How long do we have to fix the climate emergency? As Europe wilts in a blistering heatwave and new research pins the blame on humans, the time window for a decisive response is shortening.
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Threat level raised to critical in Gulf
Are we heading for a new tanker war in the Gulf? Yesterday, we learned that Iranian boats threatened a British oil tanker — before being driven off by a heavily armed Royal Navy frigate.
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Solar power and smart farms: welcome to utopia
Can we build utopia? For hundreds of years, we have been captivated by the dream of a perfect society. Now, amid the climate crisis, is it time to build an “ecotopia”?
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Climate crisis made heatwave five times likelier
Can Europe adapt to rising temperatures? Last week, France had its hottest day in history. Yesterday, experts confirmed that the heatwave was made five times more likely by the climate crisis.
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Japan goes whaling for first time in 30 years
Should Japan be condemned for hunting whales? Yesterday, eight ships set sail for Japan’s first commercial whale hunts since 1986. But some say this is the beginning of the end.
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Three billion to join human race in one lifetime
Can the Earth support three billion more people? That is how many will be added to our planet over the next 80 years, says the United Nations. Total population will have doubled since 1960.
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#KimOhNo: Star’s new brand name sparks backlash
Is Kim Kardashian West disrespecting Japanese culture? The decision to call her shapewear brand ‘Kimono’, like the traditional Japanese robe, has prompted cries of cultural appropriation.
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Ants rule world, not humans, says new study
Could it be that ants are more powerful than humans? With their mega-cities, transport networks, ventilation, childcare systems, and waste collection they put us to shame, says a new book.
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Hong Kong in shock after worst violence in years
Are we witnessing the last gasp of democracy in Hong Kong? The city’s streets are a battlefield between police and protesters who accuse their leaders of caving in to the might of China.
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Fury as Botswana returns to elephant hunting
Should rich westerners condemn Botswana for returning to elephant hunting? The gentle giants are a natural wonder. But they are also destroying the lives and crops of local farmers.
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Underwater metropolis planned as seas rise
Is the best response to climate change to invent new ways of living? The Japanese Shimizu Corporation plans to build a giant underwater metropolis powered by energy from the seabed.
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Black-spot tourism ‘feeds ghoulish fascination’
Is it tasteless to turn a disaster site into a tourist attraction? Since the release of HBO’s Chernobyl series, tour bookings to the site of the nuclear catastrophe have soared by 40%.
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Climate is our third world war, says Nobel winner
Is this a fair comparison? The economist Joseph Stiglitz says, today, that our lives are at stake — just as they were in World War Two. Donald Trump, marking D-Day, thinks it is a hoax.
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Death, fame and the lure of the mountains
Is the heroic mountaineer who takes on superhuman challenges really just a selfish misfit? As this year’s toll mounts, climbers themselves admit that it is a dangerously addictive pleasure.