Photo: Luo Lei/Unsplash (CC0)
In today’s edition: renewables overtook fossil fuels globally in 2025, a “miracle tree” offers a solution to microplastic pollution in water, and Medellín turns to nature-based strategies to tackle climate-driven disasters.
A new report from energy thinktank Ember reveals clean energy generation grew by 887 terawatt hours, outpacing global demand growth of 849 terawatt hours. Solar, particularly in China and India, led the surge. Renewables now account for over a third of global electricity, with a record 33.8% share in the global energy mix.
Source: Euronews
Global coal generation remained flat in March, with a slight 2% increase in China as some plants switched from gas. Seaborne coal transport also dropped by 3%, reaching its lowest level since the 2021 pandemic peak. Overall, fossil fuel power generation fell by 1%, with gas-fired generation dropping 4%.
Source: Euronews
A millennia-old purification method using moringa tree seeds could help to address Europe’s microplastic problem in drinking water. A recent study found that moringa seeds effectively filter out aged PVC microplastics – one of the most harmful types – matching or surpassing chemical filters in performance. This discovery could lead to a more eco-friendly alternative for water treatment plants.
Source: Euronews
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the hardest diseases to treat, with survival rates plateauing in recent years despite improvements since the 1970s. However, two new drugs in development show promise, with each potentially doubling survival rates for patients.
Source: Time
Although it’s not without its critics, the UK’s new Tobacco and Vapes Bill will ban anyone born after January 1, 2009, from buying cigarettes, aiming for a smoke-free generation. The law also extends smoke-free zones and gives ministers new powers to regulate tobacco and vaping products.
Source: BBC News
Research from the children’s commissioner for England last year found that 99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools already had policies in place that limited or restricted the use of mobile phones during the school day. However, many headteachers, dealing with challenges from parents, will welcome the move, which will provide clarity in classrooms.
Source: The Guardian
70% of teachers in Oakland public schools can’t afford to live in Oakland. But instead of building new housing from the ground up, which can take years, non-profit ‘Rooted’ purchased an existing building in the city. Teachers pay no more than 30% of their salaries and say the new apartments have changed their lives.
Source: CBS
A limited pilot project, initiated in 2022 by Chicago’s public library network and its public school system, was intended to give more children access to library resources. Now every student in the city can access the collections at 81 library branches, databases, and free academic support with only their school ID.
Source: Book Club Chicago
While wildlife populations have crashed globally by nearly three-quarters since 1970, those within Unesco-protected areas have remained largely stable. Unesco sites are also home to about a 10th of the world’s population, who are benefiting from the biodiversity, generating about a 10th of global GDP.
Source: The Guardian
From rainwater harvesting to tree nurseries, communities in Medellín are taking steps to increase their landslide and flooding resilience. These nature-based solutions have been proposed as part of a disaster risk and climate crisis adaptation plan for Comuna 8, a growing informal settlement of 150,000 people in Colombia’s second-largest city.
Source: The Guardian
