pollution

UK hosts nearly a quarter of Europe’s data centres, despite growing concerns around environmental impact and water consumption

Industrial facilities face increasing scrutiny over environmental protection and financial risk management. A single oil spill can cost millions in cleanup expenses, trigger severe regulatory penalties and create long-term environmental liability. An effective oil containment system is a strategic investment in both ecological stewardship and the financial stability of facility operations. The Hi…

A new tool from Seattle-based startup Neuralwatt calculates the exact AI carbon footprint tracker metrics for individual prompts in real time to curb data center emissions. Read More

Administration had claimed algae at Lincoln Memorial pool would be cleared after the renovation, but it has proliferated amid warm weather Donald Trump ’s $14.2m bid to turn the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool from what the US president described as a “filthy” and “dirty” site into a “beautiful” monument has encountered a hitch. The water is green again. Continue reading...

As corporate sustainability matures, so do the data requirements. Historically, high-level goals and annual averages have been the standard for reporting. Because companies lacked primary data, professionals could use broad annual matching for their renewable energy needs in Scope 2 or use industry benchmarks to fill in the gaps for Scope 3. However, the landscape...

In a warming world, outdoor exercise may be hindered by performance-impairing heat more often than it was in the past.

Nature Communications, Published online: 16 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-74453-7 Polyvinyl chloride microplastics have been detected within clinical settings and may influence bacterial infections. Here, the authors demonstrate that these microplastics facilitate acute infection by uropathogenic E. coli, helping the bacteria evade immune cells and increase shedding.

Fifa president sets gruelling itinerary across tournament World Cup to generate about 9m tons of carbon dioxide Gianni Infantino is planning to attend two World Cup games each day where possible for the rest of the tournament despite the huge distances involved. The Fifa president has access to a private jet provided by Qatar Airways as a value-in-kind element of its sponsorship deal with the wor…

FIFA says it's prepared for "climate-related risks" but doesn't appear to have a plan for wildfire smoke, which can be harmful to players and fans.

Pipsa Peony, B.A.LL.B. (Hons.), KIIT School of Law ABSTRACT As the second-largest producer and exporter of textiles in the world, India's textile industry is often cited as an example of the "fast fashion paradox." While it is economically vibrant, contributing to GDP growth, industrial output and employment, it is also responsible for the generation of millions of tonnes of waste each year, cont…

Residents of West Oakland, which suffers from toxic waste and high pollution rates, rally against a coal export facility West Oakland, a California neighborhood known for its rich history of Black activism from the Pullman Porters’ union to the Black Panthers, might not seem like the site of the country’s next great coal project. But that’s exactly what the Trump administration is pushing for – w…

Move is part of broad effort to open public lands to industry and other uses, threatening wildlife and ecosystems The Trump administration is executing a controversial plan to allow dirt bikes, ATVs, trucks, snowmobiles and other off-road vehicles to drive through tens of millions of acres of public lands and national parks, which environmental groups warn threatens endangered species and the env…

Tilicho Lake, situated at an altitude of 4,917 meters (16,132 feet) in the Nepalese Himalayas, may appear pristine, but new research shows it contains a significant amount of microplastic pollution. Credit: Mark Horrell/Flickr , CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Charging industry and electric vehicle manufacturers say measure could cost jobs and harm UK automotive sector The UK government’s plans to further weaken electric car targets have provoked a furious backlash from the charging industry and the electric car brand Polestar, which would lose out from the changes. The Labour government is expected to dilute rules known as the zero emission vehicle (Z…

About 80% of 115 products tested show levels of Pfas that comply with rules – but some firms still exceeding limits State laws banning Pfas in clothing and textiles have significantly reduced the amount of toxic “forever chemicals” used in the products, which public health advocates say marks a major public health win and underscores the value in protective policy. However, some companies appear …

Greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in soils are mainly driven by nitrification and denitrification, which are sensitive to environmental change. However, the response of soil N2O emission to N addition rates and elevated temperature in semi-arid grassland remains poorly understood, where nitrification dominates N2O emissions. We examined N2O emissions of a clay-loam loess to three N sup…

BackgroundWhether place-based circular-economy policy can strengthen urban ecological resilience remains an open question in environmental economics. China’s Zero-Waste City (ZWC) pilot, covering 11 cities and 5 special zones in 2019 and expanded to 113 prefectures in 2022, provides the largest such policy experiment to date, and a natural setting in which to test this question.MethodsUsing a pan…

Artificial Island Development (AID) in coastal regions, particularly in the Gulf area, is a strategic initiative aimed at expanding land and infrastructure, offering significant economic benefits. This study is based on live project data from the Qetaifan Island North (QIN) development in Qatar, which has been implemented as a real-world artificial island project. However, these developments also…

Nature Communications, Published online: 15 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-74369-2 Catalyst fouling hinders oxidation-driven polymerization of organic pollutants. This study shows a facet-programmed BiOI/H2O2 system generating I2 in situ to drive solution-phase polymerization, eliminating fouling while enabling resource recovery.

Scientific Reports, Published online: 15 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-43484-x Sustainable closed-loop supply chain management for a two-warehouse system with trade-credit and emissions constraints under dynamic demand