World

Written by: Kimberly White  Panama’s plastic bag ban has gone into effect. Panama became the first Central American country to ban single-use plastic bags in 2018.  As of July 20th, retailers, supermarkets, and pharmacies can no longer use polyethylene bags. Similar to...

Written by: Kimberly White This story was originally published on May 11, 2019 and has been updated and republished in honor of Wildfire Awareness Month. The Smokey Bear wildfire prevention campaign was launched in 1944 and is the longest-running public service...

Written by: Kimberly White  Royal Dutch Shell is being held accountable for its role in perpetuating the climate crisis.  A Dutch court ruled that Royal Dutch Shell must reduce its carbon emissions by 45 percent by 2030. The decision by the...

Written by: Deepa Padmanaban Unprecedented heat waves swept through Canada, the United States, and northern India this year, claiming hundreds of lives. These heat waves are not new: In India, 17,000 deaths have occurred because of heat waves since the 1990s. A recent global study...

Written by: Kimberly White The EU has launched a new initiative to protect the world’s rarest gorilla. The EU announced a four-year, two million euro project to aid in the conservation of the Cross River gorilla. The initiative will be led...

Written by: Kimberly White The First Lady of Kenya, Margaret Kenyatta, has officially launched the “Ivory Trade is a Rip-off” campaign. The campaign is a reaffirmation of Kenya’s position on the ivory trade and aims to raise awareness ahead of...

Written by: Kimberly White  The Vatican is calling for an immediate phase-out of fossil fuels. A top Vatican official has signaled support for an agreement to cease fossil fuel expansion and phase-out existing production. During a press conference centered around Pope...

Written by: Christiaan De Beukelaer I went sailing on a bright yellow outrigger canoe in the Marshall Islands in March. On board were Alson Kelen, founder of Waan Aelõñ in Majel (WAM, Canoes of the Marshall Islands), and a group of youngsters...

Written by: Kimberly White  Prince William has launched a new initiative to solve the world’s most significant environmental problems. The Earthshot Prize aims to incentivize change and refocus global attention on finding solutions to the issues our planet faces.  Initially announced...

Written by: Phil Baty “Yes, we educate. Yes, we do research. But if we are not making an impact and making a difference then we are not fulfilling the goal of our existence.” So says Claire Pollock, provost of Western...