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Kolahoi is one of many glaciers whose decline is disrupting whole ecosystems – water, wildlife and human life that it has supported for centuries
From the slopes above Pahalgam, the Kolahoi glacier is visible as a thinning, rumpled ribbon of ice stretching across the western Himalayas. Once a vast white artery feeding rivers, fields and forests, it is now retreating steadily, leaving bare rock, crevassed ice and newly exposed alpine meadows.
The glacier’s meltwater has sustained paddy fields, apple orchards, saffron fields and grazing pastures for centuries. Now, as its ice diminishes, the entire web of life it supported is shifting.
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Scientists issue urgent warning about chemicals, found to cause cancer and infertility as well as harming environment
Scientists have issued an urgent warning that some of the synthetic chemicals that help underpin the current food system are driving increased rates of cancer, neurodevelopmental conditions and infertility, while degrading the foundations of global agriculture.
The health burden from phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides and Pfas “forever chemicals” amounts to up to $2.2tn a year – roughly as much as the profits of the world’s 100 largest publicly listed companies, according to the report published on Wednesday.
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Once fairly frequent winter visitors to southern England, they now stay close to their northern breeding grounds
An owl? Or just a gatepost? In my experience, it’s usually a gatepost. So as I drove home across the Somerset Levels, returning from my first starling murmuration of the year, I was convinced that the owl-shaped lump a few yards away was just that. It was also dark brown, unlike the barn owls I sometimes see, which glow like beacons long after sunset.
Stopping the car, I lifted my binoculars and found myself face to face with a real, live short-eared owl (Asio flammeus), a bird I hadn’t seen in Somerset for several years. Once fairly frequent winter visitors to southern England, like so many other species from farther north and east their numbers have fallen as they stay put on, or close to, their breeding grounds.
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UN GEO report says ending this harm key to global transformation required ‘before collapse becomes inevitable’
The unsustainable production of food and fossil fuels causes $5bn (£3.8bn) of environmental damage per hour, according to a major UN report.
Ending this harm was a key part of the global transformation of governance, economics and finance required “before collapse becomes inevitable”, the experts said.
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Copernicus deputy director says three-year average for 2023 to 2025 on track to exceed 1.5C of heating for first time
This year is “virtually certain” to end as the second- or third-hottest year on record, EU scientists have found, as climate breakdown continues to push the planet away from the stable conditions in which humanity evolved.
Global temperatures from January to November were on average 1.48C higher than preindustrial levels, according to the Copernicus, the EU’s earth observation programme. It found the anomalies were so far identical to those recorded in 2023, which is the second-hottest year on record after 2024.
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Consumers spent £1.7bn on festive lighting last year and much of it is treated as disposable
UK households have thrown away an estimated 168m light-up Christmas items and other “fast-tech” gifts over the past year, a study suggests.
The research by the non-profit group Material Focus found about £1.7bn was spent last year on Christmas lighting, including 39m sets of fairy lights.
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Tapanuli orangutans survive only in Indonesia’s Sumatran rainforest where a mine expansion will cut through their home. Yet the mining company says the alternative will be worse
A small brown line snakes its way through the rainforest in northern Sumatra, carving 300 metres through dense patches of meranti trees, oak and mahua. Picked up by satellites, the access road – though modest now – will soon extend 2km to connect with the Tor Ulu Ala pit, an expansion site of Indonesia’s Martabe mine. The road will help to unlock valuable deposits of gold, worth billions of dollars in today’s booming market. But such wealth could come at a steep cost to wildlife and biodiversity: the extinction of the world’s rarest ape, the Tapanuli orangutan.
The network of access roads planned for this swath of tropical rainforest will cut through habitat critical to the survival of the orangutans, scientists say. The Tapanuli (Pongo tapanuliensis), unique to Indonesia, was only discovered by scientists to be a separate species in 2017 – distinct from the Sumatran and Bornean apes. Today, there are fewer than 800 Tapanulis left in an area that covers as little as 2.5% of their historical range. All are found in Sumatra’s fragile Batang Toru ecosystem, bordered on its south-west flank by the Martabe mine, which began operations in 2012.
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We found reusable wrapping clothes, garlands made from invasive species, and solar-powered lights that you’ll want to use season after season
The holiday season is a time for joy, togetherness and generosity, but it can also be a time for overflowing waste bins. According to Oklahoma State University, families tend to generate about 25% more trash during this season, and it’s easy to see how. From disposable gift wrap to novelty decor destined for the landfill by New Year’s Eve, short-lived festivities can unintentionally generate long-term trash.
But that doesn’t mean you need to endure a drab and joyless December in a cave: a few thoughtful swaps can make for magical holiday celebrations with less waste, and some of them even help communities in need. Here are nine sustainable purchases that can help fill the season with intention, and maybe even inspire those around you to do the same.
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Wondering what to get the nature lover in your life? Our outdoor enthusiast curates the must-haves: Loop earplugs, Yeti Rambler and more
Whether you know someone who camps every weekend or just enjoys morning coffee outside, you already know: outdoorsy people can be particular about their gear. They want to stay both comfortable and safe in the elements – a reliable water bottle means no spills in the pack and a good headlamp keeps them on the trail and not in a ravine.
Outdoor gear can be intimidating and expensive, but I’ve pulled together a list of affordable yet reliable things that I’ve personally used as an outdoors lover. (I have also gifted many of these to family members who now use them often.) These are things I’ve dragged through mud, shoved into carry-ons and relied on when the weather turned. Whether your person camps, hikes, fishes or bikes, here are durable and practical gifts that make being outside easier and more fun.
Our favorite gifts for moms
Our favorite gifts for teens and tweens
The best gifts for the person who has everything
Unique gifts from indie businesses that beat predictable big brands
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As the days grow shorter and darkness descends, tropical varieties can struggle. But there’s a clever fix that nature can’t provide
The problem
In the dark days of winter, the whole house is darker, days are shorter, skies are greyer and our tropical houseplants receive far less light than they would in their natural habitat. Leaves fade and growth slows as plants struggle to photosynthesise.
The hack
Grow lights offer a clever fix, topping up what nature can’t provide. But with prices ranging from £15 to £100, are they really worth it?
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pub. Bowtie Press, UK, 2005
pub. Souvenir Press, London, 2002
First published by Henston Ltd, 1988, new edition 1994. Later edition published by Interpret Publishing, Dorking, Surrey UK.
pub. Henston, Guildford UK, 1985, revised 1987, 1988, 1994.
pub. Crossing Press CA 1994
