Environment

man with trash

‘We were treated as disposable beings’: Waste pickers in Colombia fought for their rights after 11 murders

The people who collect garbage for recycling organized among themselves to change how they are paid and how they are treated. Today, waste pickers are officially recognized as part of the municipal waste system. 

‘We were treated as disposable beings’: Waste pickers in Colombia fought for their rights after 11 murders
trucks

In Mumbai, waste pickers do the heavy lifting of recycling  

In Mumbai, waste pickers do the heavy lifting of recycling  
landfill

Trash sorters in Ghana face health and safety risks

Trash sorters in Ghana face health and safety risks
volcano

El Fuego volcano erupts in Guatemala

El Fuego volcano erupts in Guatemala
Barnacle geese have developed new migration routes and breeding grounds amid warming global temperatures. 

Animal species are evolving to adjust to climate change, but scientists say time is running out

Animal species are evolving to adjust to climate change, but scientists say time is running out
Yellow sign on beach warning people to stay out of water because of pollutants, in Tijuana River Valley

Pollution from Tijuana River contaminates marine border areas

Pollution and trash carried from the Tijuana River to the Pacific Ocean have long plagued swimmers and surfers on both sides of the US-Mexico border. A recent court settlement is bringing hope for cooperation.

Pollution from Tijuana River contaminates marine border areas
portrait of Zafer Kizilkaya in front of a waterfront

'Nobody believed us:' Turkish conservationist wins Goldman Prize for expanding marine-protected areas

“We don't have much time to convince all the stakeholders in the world,” said award recipient Zafer Kizilkaya about the urgency of protecting marine life.

'Nobody believed us:' Turkish conservationist wins Goldman Prize for expanding marine-protected areas
fish underwater

You can ring this 'fish doorbell' to help marine life in the Netherlands

The World's Carol Hills spoke to Anne Nejs, an urban ecologist for the city of Utrecht, who worked on creating the doorbell back in 2021. She says mid-April is the best time of the season to go fish-doorbelling.

You can ring this 'fish doorbell' to help marine life in the Netherlands
canal

Archaeologists uncover ancient Moorish waterways to irrigate Granada 

The Moors, who ruled in Spain, had a network of canals 800 years ago that moved water from the Sierra Nevada down into cities and farms. Archaeologists today are trying to uncover those canals, and put the ancient wisdom about irrigation to use today.

Archaeologists uncover ancient Moorish waterways to irrigate Granada 
Left to right: Smoke from a wildfire over the Athens sky; a woman walks in a village during a period of drought; students hold up a banners; the Atlantic forest in Brazil.

VIDEO: 'The Big Fix' explores climate change solutions around the globe

In the ongoing series, “The Big Fix," The World reports on what communities, individuals, governments and businesses are doing to tackle the climate crisis.

VIDEO: 'The Big Fix' explores climate change solutions around the globe
Syed Sajjad Ali inspects tomatoes planted inside a Kheyti greenhouse.

This greenhouse innovation helps farmers in India cope with climate change

The “greenhouse-in-a-box” is part of a solution designed to help smallholder farmers cope with the vagaries of a changing climate. The design, essentially a low-cost, scaled-down version of a standard greenhouse, is the brainchild of an Indian startup called Kheyti.

This greenhouse innovation helps farmers in India cope with climate change
People walk through an informal settlement for trash segregators in Bangalore, India.

Waste collectors in Bangalore face discrimination and exploitation

Garbage segregators in India often have to migrate in search of work. Many in Bangalore, India, also face constant harassment from the police and local residents, often facing eviction from informal settlements if they can't afford to pay bribes.

Waste collectors in Bangalore face discrimination and exploitation
Elephants in the Chobe National Park in Botswana on March 3, 2013. 

An elephant never forgets, sometimes sheds insight

Critical State, a foreign policy newsletter by Inkstick Media, takes a deep dive this week into what the socialization patterns of elephants can teach us about human evolution.

An elephant never forgets, sometimes sheds insight
scientists on lake

Geologists edge closer to defining the Anthropocene

The Anthropocene Working Group is voting on a so-called Golden Spike, a sedimentary layer somewhere on Earth that best exemplifies the global impact of humans on planet Earth. It's the last, big task in formally defining the Anthropocene, which is being proposed as a new age in geologic time.

Geologists edge closer to defining the Anthropocene
Protesters hold posters calling for protection of Indigenous lands amid growing number of development projects in the Philippines.

The Philippines is among the most dangerous places in the world for environmental activists

The international nonprofit Global Witness has ranked the Philippines at the top of its list of deadliest countries to be an eco-activist. Dozens of environmentalists and land defenders also die each year or end up on government watch lists.

The Philippines is among the most dangerous places in the world for environmental activists