The world spends 30 times more money destroying nature than protecting it. That's according to a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that exposes a massive gulf between so-called "harmful investments" and financing that promotes nature preservation. The global environment agency's latest "State of Finance for Nature" (SNF) report is calling to phase out the US$7.3 trillion (6.2 trillion) in global investments that damage nature including into high-emissions energy infrastructure and manufacturing, for example.
In a Berkeley National Lab report published last year that looked at trends in electric rates from 2019 to 2024, researchers found that states that had the biggest growth in electricity demand-from customers like data centers-actually saw costs go down. That's because the electricity market isn't just about supply and demand; it's expensive to maintain equipment, and if costs can be spread out among more customers, everyone pays less.
For many years, bamboo has been mostly known as the favourite food of giant pandas, but a group of engineers say it's time we took it seriously as a building material, too. This week the Institution of Structural Engineers called for architects to be bamboo-ready as they published a manual for designing permanent buildings made of the material, in an effort to encourage low-carbon construction and position bamboo as a proper alternative to steel and concrete.
Clean Harbors just locked in a $110 million contract for PFAS water filtration at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. This isn't just another project win. It's validation of the company's end-to-end PFAS solution: lab analytics, water filtration, site remediation, and most critically, high-temperature incineration disposal.
Debris balls have washed up on Sydney's beaches after a weekend of heavy rain, with the objects found on Malabar beach next to a sewage treatment works and also in Botany Bay. Sydney Water erected a sign at Malabar beach warning of the potential pollution. This area may be affected by sewage debris balls, the sign states. Please do not touch any debris. We are cleaning the area and apologise for any inconvenience.
But as this nascent field grapples with questions of legitimacy, scalability, and accountability, a critical challenge remains: How do we build the infrastructure needed to track, verify, and certify that carbon has actually been removed and stays removed? Meet Hannes Junginger-Gestrich, CEO of Carbonfuture, a company helping define the monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) infrastructure that could transform carbon removal from scattered efforts into a functioning ecosystem.
As global markets continue to navigate economic uncertainty, one theme dominates business leadership discussions in 2026: decision quality under pressure. From capital allocation to talent retention, success increasingly depends on how well leaders assess environments, manage risk, and act decisively with limited information. Interestingly, these same principles are now being examined through the lens of the leisure and hospitality economy.
Ishinomaki City in Japan's eastern Miyagi Prefecture has ordered drones that will spray bear repellent at attacking bears. Drone manufacturer Terra Drone said in a press release on Monday that it will supply the city with what it calls "bear repellent spray-equipped drones," which it said could remotely and safely repel bears without human intervention. A video of the drone's demonstration showed a drone spraying repellent on a human dressed in a bear suit, crouching on all fours to mimic a bear's stance.
The global attack on nature is threatening the UK's national security, government intelligence chiefs have warned, as the increasingly likely collapse of vitally important natural systems would bring mass migration, food shortages and price rises, and global disorder. Food supplies are particularly at risk, as without significant increases, the UK would be unable to compete with other nations for scarce resources, a report to ministers warns.
According to United Nations estimates, more than 400 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated globally each year, with plastic pollution forecast to triple by 2060 unless action is taken. MPs were told that while recycling has dominated policy for decades, it cannot solve the crisis alone. Industry experts at the briefing argued that meaningful progress requires intervention across the entire plastics lifecycle, from production through to disposal, with replacement, rather than recycling, becoming the priority.
The environmental impacts of meat consumption could be rapidly and cheaply reduced if governments applied full VAT on products such as beef, pork, lamb and chicken, a study has shown. Depending on how the additional tax revenues were redistributed, such a change could cost households as little as 26 (23) a year, while cutting ecological destruction by between 3% and 6%, the paper found.
"There was an incident this morning (11am) at the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI) on Pearse Street involving a chemical spill," a spokesperson said. "Three individuals were transferred to St James' Hospital. Dublin Fire Brigade and An Garda Síochána attended the scene but have since left and the situation is under control. "The building is closed for environmental cleaning. We have no further update at this stage."
A solitary figure stands on the shore of Thailand's Tang Khen Bay. The tide is slowly rising over the expanse of sandy beach, but the man does not seem to notice. His eyes are not fixed on the sea, but on the small screen clutched between his hands. About 600 metres offshore, past the shadowy fringe of coral reef, his drone hovers over the murky sea, focused on a whirling grey shape: Miracle, the local dugong, is back.
The physical nature of the project was inspiring and fun for everyone and also contained within it a kind of message. If we are going to change the direction of our climate we are going to have to do it for real too - in the real world, by doing real stuff.
Connected Energy is developing what it describes as the UK's most advanced second-life EV battery testing facility as part of its first wholly owned and operated battery energy storage system (BESS) site. The project marks a step change in the company's strategy, moving from delivering systems for third parties to owning and operating grid-scale storage assets. The site will be located at Scottow Enterprise Park in Norfolk, close to Connected Energy's technical centre. Alongside its role as a commercial energy storage installation, the facility will be used to test the integration and performance of batteries from multiple electric bus and truck manufacturers.
You are not alone: social media is full of claims that soaking banana skins in water makes a fertiliser that will give you bigger leaves and better blooms. The hack Put banana peels in a jar of water, leave them to sit, then pour the liquid on your plants. Bananas do contain potassium and small amounts of other nutrients. The snag is you have no idea how strong it is or what's missing.
Many people look up to admire the silhouette of raptors, some of the planet's largest birds, soaring through seemingly empty skies. But increasingly, research shows us that this fascination runs both ways. From high above, these birds are watching us too. Thanks to the development of tiny GPS tracking devices attached to their bodies, researchers are getting millions of data points on the day-to-day lives of these apex predators of the skies, giving us greater insight into where they hunt and rest.
In 2025, the Netherlands counted 2,748 zero-emission buses in operation (+853 on 2024), with electric buses accounting for 26% of all bus kilometres driven. At the same time, the share of diesel fell to 65% (from 69), according to CROW's latest monitoring of public transport fleets. Still according to CROW's researches, the country exceeded 1,000 units in operation as of 2020.
"This is an exciting and important day for our agency and our region," James Noble, Chair of the VVTA Board of Directors, said. "What we are celebrating represents years of collaboration, planning, and partnership. It reflects VVTA's commitment to innovation and our role as a regional leader in moving the High Desert toward a cleaner, more connected future that benefits our riders and our communities."
The Met Office has said the Atlantic air dominates this week, bringing largely cloudy and changeable conditions, with temperatures close to average. Wind and rain will be most notable across southwest Britain initially, with eastern Scotland also seeing wetter and windier conditions from midweek. Today, slow-moving weather fronts remain across the UK, bringing bands of cloud and rain to western and central areas. Elsewhere it will be drier with some sunny spells, though temperatures may feel chilly where it remains damp and overcast.
