Evidence over alarm. Research over anecdote.
The intersection of environment and human health — air, water, soil, chemicals, and climate.
935 articles
Env. HealthWhen he went for a dive between the tiny islands off the coast of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, marine biologist and AI researcher Ben Williams could often hear as many as three fish bombs detonate. “But the thing is, because sounds travel so far underwater, the bombing is often happening quite far away,” he said. “So […]
Env. HealthOcean Conservancy says last year’s cleanup collected 13.9m pieces of rubbish from beaches and rivers worldwide More than 1.3m plastic bottles were collected from beaches, rivers and waterways last year during the world’s largest single-day volunteer ocean cleanup. About 630,000 people took part in the International Coastal Cleanup in 2025, removing almost 13.9m pieces of rubbish from more than 15,000 miles of coastline and waterways. Continue reading...
A study from Scotland found that living near an accessible urban woodland significantly lowered the likelihood of being prescribed antidepressants. Read more on E360 →
Env. HealthThe Indian Ocean accounts for about a fifth of global ocean area, with 90% of it reaching deeper than 1,000 meters (3,280 feet). Yet compared to the Pacific and Atlantic, its deep-sea biodiversity is relatively understudied — particularly the seamounts of the ocean’s central eastern region. An expedition that surveyed dozens of these volcanic underwater […]
Env. HealthAt least four suspects have been arrested in connection with the deaths of 18 elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem in southern Kenya, near the border with Tanzania. Preliminary investigations by a multiagency team suggest poisoning from agricultural pesticides, authorities say. In July, 16 elephants were found dead at Kimana Sanctuary and Kuku Group Ranch in […]
Env. HealthSANTA CRUZ DE LA SIERRA, Bolivia — When Rolando Ágreda was 16, a severe drought hit his community of Ascensión de Guarayos in the Bolivian Amazon in 2022. Rumors spread that the municipality’s only water reservoir was dwindling. But it was the communal spring-fed pool, or paúro, that Ágreda had been visiting since childhood that […]
Env. HealthIn Ndrele, a commercial center in Ituri with nearly 40,000 inhabitants, there is virtually no access to safe drinking water. Children leave home at 5:30 a.m. to fetch water for their families and often spend hours doing this activity. They usually don’t return before 11 a.m. or noon. “It’s a serious problem, and it’s the […]
ELMORE, Ala.—Tiffany Montellano can’t sleep.  Instead, she lies awake, worried about her husband Andrew, 31, who is incarcerated at Elmore Correctional Facility just north of Montgomery, Alabama’s state capital.  She worries because a few days ago, she received a call during her lunch break from Andrew, who had missed their usual call the night before.  […]
One of the world’s most-used shortcuts is at risk as a severe drought plagues Central America.  Starting in early September, the Panama Canal will reduce the number of ships allowed to pass through each day due to low water levels in the artificial lakes that feed the lock system. Experts say the reason for the […]
Env. HealthBUNIA, Congo (AP) — More than 300 people died of Ebola in eastern Congo in the past week, one of the highest weekly tolls yet, government data showed Monday, as health workers struggle to catch up with an outbreak that is spreading at unprecedented speed. Ministry of Health data showed that as of Saturday, the outbreak had recorded […]
A new NRDC report documents the full impact of Trump’s policies, finding that they could raise average utility bills by $230 a year while destroying $700 billion in new clean energy investments – delivering dirtier air and worsening climate change.
Env. HealthCambodia’s environment ministry has urged the public and social media content creators to stop making or sharing content that encourages the commerce, consumption or capture of wildlife. It has warned that such actions are illegal and pose risks to human health and the country’s wild animals and plants. At a press conference on Aug. 7, […]
Env. HealthEndangered Asiatic wild dogs in central India almost entirely eat wild prey, even where they overlap with livestock, according to a recent study. The findings show that maintaining healthy wild prey populations is key to conserving the species, reports contributor Rajeev Tyagi for Mongabay India. The study, led by the National Centre for Biological Sciences […]
Fishers operating off the coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia, are detonating more than 8,000 underwater explosives each year, researchers estimate. The practice is turning picturesque coral reefs to “rubble.” Read more on E360 →
Env. HealthA local initiative is testing simple ways to stop algal blooms in the River Fal threatening some of England’s most biodiverse marine habitats On a rocky beach in Cornwall, a group of wetsuit-clad freedivers and snorkellers are wading into the shallows. Below St Mawes Castle, built by Henry VIII to defend Falmouth harbour, they disappear in a swish of florescent pink and green fins. They are volunteers, trained by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust to use underwater cameras and floating GPS devices to d
Env. HealthAlthough mobiles blared in public are nothing new, this crop of headphone-dodging irritants are truly maddening. It’s time to take them on ‘Interesting cities can’t be quiet”, runs one of grime DJ and music industry thinker Elijah’s epigrams – and in its essential spirit, he is right. Silent, tidy, prim cities should be treated with suspicion. Any such atmosphere denotes that something has gone wrong at a macro level: either you’ve wound up in an authoritarian regime or, worse, Switzerland. But
Three days was all it took for the Trump administration’s Colorado River plan to see a legal challenge from, somewhat ironically, Nevada.  Of the seven states that rely on the river, Nevada gets the smallest amount by law. Nevada water managers said the long-term impacts from the proposed cuts could be devastating—with Las Vegas bearing […]
Env. HealthDid you know forests can save themselves? (With a little help from us, of course). Turns out, trees can be super valuable apart from being used for timber. Their seeds, nuts, leaves, bark, and more are natural commodities… and have the potential to prevent logging, support local communities, and protect the health of our precious […]
What to watch out for in pools, gardens, sports fields, and fishing holes.
A monumental figure in Pennsylvania’s environmental movement passed away last week. Former state legislator Franklin Kury, who was 89, led Pennsylvania to become one of the first governments in the world to adopt a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a healthy environment as a basic right. “He is a true icon, and a historic leader,” said Delaware […]
Env. HealthFrom the bed of the Negro River to nesting sites at the mouth of the Amazon River, plastic particles are already contaminating ecosystems and wildlife across the Amazon Rainforest.
On a vast network of rivers flowing through the jungles of Papua New Guinea, researchers have rediscovered the spinach pipefish, a relative of the seahorse, which had not been recorded in more than 40 years. The fish has long been sought after by conservationists, who feared it had gone extinct. Read more on E360 →
Env. HealthEvery dragonfly story starts in the water, and Guainía, known as the land of many waters, should be the Olympus of these insects. The mix of waters from the Orinoquia and the Amazon with the vast pristine rainforest should make this region a dragonfly biodiversity hotspot. But little to nothing is known about the diversity […]
Env. HealthHélène Duguy is taking on companies accused of failing to stop Pfas pollution in the area of France she calls home The factories were just part of the landscape for Hélène Duguy growing up in the heart of an area known as France’s “Chemical Valley”. “Those factories are visible from my mother’s apartment,” says Duguy, 34, whose mother still lives in St-Genis-Laval, south of Lyon. Continue reading...
Env. HealthThe concept of green building in Bangladesh started solely for its vast apparel industry. Now, the country’s corporates and realtors, too, are constructing green certified buildings, also known as eco-friendly buildings. The vision behind green building is to reduce environmental impacts and to also ensure a healthy workplace for employees. It has become a part […]
Env. HealthCountries across the world are bracing for what is increasingly certain to be a historic El Niño, with latest modeling suggesting the 2026-2027 event will be the strongest ever measured, possibly breaking records by a considerable and dangerous margin. International bodies including the World Health Organization (WHO), World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and World Food Programme […]
Env. HealthThe long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions probes an intriguing scientific question in relation to the climate emergency Readers reply: Is it inevitable that consumerism will literally fill up the planet? If all the vehicles on the planet had their tyres pumped up with CO 2 , would this lock up enough carbon to lower the amount in the air significantly? Would there be other issues, such as the carbon cost of trapping it all into the tyres? Chris Coldwell, Lancaster
Env. HealthThe long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions considers whether there is sufficient global physical capacity for all our discarded and worn-out purchases • This week’s question: If all car tyres were filled with CO2, would this cut atmospheric carbon significantly? If consumer capitalism continues at its current rate, will we reach a point at which there is literally no space left on Earth for all the stuff that has been created? Alex Robinson, Alnwick, Northumberland
Env. HealthAn 1857 decree to drain swamps and plant a monoculture, detritus from the trees and global heating combined to produce the conditions for the Gironde inferno The ruinous fires that overran parts of France this summer have burned more land than ever recorded, forced more people from their homes than at any point since the second world war and caused what scientists suspect is the country’s first firestorm thundercloud. The smoke from France’s biggest inferno in nearly 80 years choked Limoges, a c
Wildfires in New England rarely make national news. The spotlight is more often on the catastrophic fires of Western states, but the Northeast’s fire season has been quietly heating up. In 2025, severe drought quadrupled Maine’s late summer fire activity. In 2024, another drought quintupled Connecticut’s fall wildfires, and one firefighter died while controlling a […]