The world’s data centres produce about the same amount of carbon dioxide as global air travel.
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The digital economy is taking off. So are the greenhouse gas emissions, electronic waste and pollution associated with it.
A lithograph from Gaston Tissandier’s balloon travels depicts falling stars.
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Not so long ago, people had no idea what would happen to them – and what they would see – once they ascended into the clouds.
Air, water, land and wildlife are tainted with thousands of chemicals that we cannot see, smell or touch — and may not be considered a threat to wildlife.
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Scientists have a new approach to understanding how pollution threatens species at risk in Canada.
On Thursday air pollution levels in Sydney reached hazardous levels for the second time in a week.
Dean Lewins/AAP
Smoke haze appears to make it hard for participants in financial markets to make the right decisions. The finding has far-reaching implications.
Mercury levels in Pacific sardines could rise by as much as 14 per cent if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.
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Regulations have lowered mercury emissions globally, but the risks to ocean ecosystems and human health may be getting worse.
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Wetlands are an important resource that needs to be taken better care of.
Sulfur pollution causes respiratory health problems.
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Sulfur contaminates gasoline and coal, and when these fuels are burned, sulfur dioxide is emitted, causing pollution and respiratory issues. Now there may be a new, cheaper way to remove it.
Nairobi River flows through a low-income settlement.
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There are huge holes in the governance of Nairobi river and city’s waste which means the river’s condition has deteriorated.
Taxi drivers were exposed to the highest levels of pollution.
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Taxi drivers are exposed to twice the level of pollution compared to other drivers.
Drift ice forming in the Baltic Sea, where microplastic concentrations are at levels similar to those in the Arctic. The incorporation of microplastics into sea ice affects how well the ice absorbs or reflects solar energy.
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Levels of microplastics in the ocean are rising. More study is needed to figure out how these microplastics affect the qualities and properties of sea ice, and what the potential impact may be.
A camera catches a huge Greenland shark in eastern Baffin Bay, near Disko Bay, Greenland.
Jonathan Fisher
The eastern Arctic and sub-Arctic marine areas of Canada are changing rapidly under climate change.
Grid, glorious grid.
Kaspars Upmanis/Unsplash.
The ‘superblocks’ are expected to have massive benefits for health and well-being – but it takes good governance.
Palm oil development is not just about the economy but also needs to consider social and environmental costs.
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There are studies showing that farmers can have economic benefits from palm oil. However, they can also be impoverished by the commodity.
A black marlin in the sea. These apex predators can grow to 800 kilograms.
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A giant ocean fish swims into the heart of industrial Port Kembla looking for food. What if we take its presence, a few km from an ancient, living midden, as a symbol of both new and old ways to learn in the age of the Anthropocene?
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Our experiment shows we need to work out just how damaging discarded cigarettes are to plantlife.
Is your community’s water tainted with lead? The data might not have been reported.
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Flint’s highest recorded lead levels were typical for water systems that report problems. What’s more, a number of cities haven’t reported their lead issues.
The coal plant would be about 20km from Lamu town - a Unesco world heritage site.
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The court case highlighted that key environmental challenges were not adequately covered by the Environmental Impact Assessment
Turning a corner.
Jp Valery/Unsplash.
Academic experts on how the humble car could evolve to become an unlikely hero in the global fight against climate change.
Zoological Society London
Coral reefs get a lot of attention, but the world has lost almost all of its vital oyster reefs in the last few centuries.
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Currently, all the value in sewage sludge is literally being flushed down the toilet.