Plastic pollution to weigh 1.3 billion tonnes by 2040

An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of plastic is destined for our environment – both on land and in the ocean – by 2040, unless worldwide action is taken.  That’s according to a global model of the scale of the plastic problem over the next 20 years.  Dr Costas Velis from the University of Leeds said the

Why plastic is a deadly attraction for sea turtles

  Scientists have new evidence to explain why plastic is dangerous to sea turtles: the animals mistake the scent of plastic for food. Thus, a plastic bag floating in the sea not only looks like a jellyfish snack, but it gives off a similar odour. This “olfactory trap” might help explain why sea turtles are

Scottish project tackles ‘environmental impact’ of pills

A new Scottish health project aims to tackle potential harm caused to the environment by pharmaceuticals. An estimated 100 million treatments are prescribed every year in Scotland. After a pill passes through a person’s body, some of its compounds reach rivers, lochs and the sea because waste water plants cannot filter them out. While the

Food ‘made from air’ could compete with soya

Finnish scientists producing a protein “from thin air” say it will compete with soya on price within the decade. The protein is produced from soil bacteria fed on hydrogen split from water by electricity. The researchers say if the electricity comes from solar and wind power, the food can be grown with near-zero greenhouse gas

Third of tropical African plants face extinction

A third of tropical African plants are on the path to extinction, according to a new assessment. Much of western Africa, Ethiopia, and parts of Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are the hardest hit regions, standing to lose more than 40% of their richness of plants. Species at risk include trees, shrubs,

Malaysia’s last known Sumatran rhino dies

The Sumatran rhino is now officially extinct in Malaysia, with the death of the last known specimen. The 25-year-old female named Iman died on Saturday on the island of Borneo, officials say. She had cancer. Malaysia’s last male Sumatran rhino died in May this year. The Sumatran rhino once roamed across Asia, but has now

Seeking the ‘plastic score’ of the food on our plates

Microplastics are found everywhere on Earth, yet we know surprisingly little about what risks they pose to living things. Scientists are now racing to investigate some of the big unanswered questions. Daniella Hodgson is digging a hole in the sand on a windswept beach as seabirds wheel overhead. “Found one,” she cries, flinging down her