Displaying items by tag: Environment

Tim Baker has spent more than four decades crafting world-class bows for violins and cellos - the very tools which, as he puts it, give musicians their ‘voice’. But now his longstanding craft is caught in the middle of an urgent conservation battle. Brazilwood, also known as pernambuco, is the prized, endangered timber used in most professional bows, beloved for its strength and resonance. With the tree’s population reduced by 84% due to centuries of overharvesting and ongoing illegal logging, Brazil is pushing for the highest level of international trade protection. Advocates say drastic action is needed to save the species, but musicians fear that tighter restrictions could ground performers, expose their bows to confiscation, and make global touring nearly impossible without complex permits. Conservationists and performers alike agree that the status quo is unsustainable, but they need to agree on a plan that protects both music and nature.

In Alexandra, South Africa’s oldest township, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, local volunteers known as the Alexandra Water Warriors are working tirelessly to protect their community from worsening flood risks and pollution. Using garbage-trapping nets across the Jukskei River, they are trying to prevent debris from clogging the waterway - a growing danger linked to illegal dumping and climate-intensified flash floods. The stakes are high: when the river overflows, bridges disappear underwater and children are unable to reach school. Despite limited resources, the Water Warriors plant native trees, clean riverbanks, and recycle collected waste into items that can bring in income. Their efforts have significantly reduced visible pollution, demonstrating the power of grassroots action in a place overshadowed by extreme inequality: Alexandra lies within sight of affluent Sandton, yet lacks basic infrastructure support. As world leaders gather in Johannesburg to discuss climate resilience, communities like Alexandra urgently need the global partnership and investment they cannot secure alone.

On 11 November hundreds of Indigenous activists stormed the UN COP30 climate summit in Belém, demanding real protection for their lands and rights amid growing frustration over government inaction. The protests, led by Amazonian communities, erupted as president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva promoted his administration’s commitment to Indigenous inclusion - claims protesters say ring hollow while oil drilling, logging, and mining continue to threaten the rainforest. ‘We can’t eat money’, said Gilmar of the Tupinamba community, voicing anger at the summit’s focus on climate finance over preservation. The demonstrations followed the arrival of the Yaku Mama protest flotilla, which sailed over two thousand miles to call attention to Indigenous leadership in environmental stewardship. Despite Lula’s rhetoric, Brazil’s state oil company has just received approval to begin exploratory offshore drilling near the Amazon’s mouth. This year’s meeting is the first to take place since the International Court of Justice ruled that countries must meet their climate obligations and that failing to do so could violate international law. Note: the four nations responsible for almost 50% of global pollution (Russia, China, India, and the USA) are not even attending COP30. The conference is a major focus for prayer, as churches become more and more aware of the climate crisis. For a link to the John Stott lecture on 20 November, which will focus on the challenges which the world is facing and a Christian response, see

A star-studded Earthshot Prize ceremony in Rio de Janeiro celebrated global ingenuity and hope for the planet, honouring five remarkable winners across its key categories. Brazil’s re.green, which uses AI and satellite technology to restore vast tracts of the Atlantic forest won the for Protect and Restore Nature category. The city of Bogotá, Colombia, took the Clean Our Air prize for cutting pollution through electrification and green urban design. The Revive Our Oceans award went to the High Seas Treaty, a landmark global accord creating the first legal framework for high-seas protection. Nigeria’s Lagos Fashion Week earned the Build a Waste-Free World award for transforming fashion sustainability in Africa. Finally, Bangladesh’s Friendship received the Fix Our Climate award for its pioneering community resilience work: by 2030 it will protect 4,000 miles of coastline with mangroves and expand disaster relief for 50 million people. Each winner embodies Earthshot’s vision - turning urgent environmental challenges into enduring hope. Prince William, the founder of the Earthshot Prize, said: ‘Tonight we have felt extraordinary optimism from these innovators. Their work is the proof we need that progress is possible. Their stories are the inspiration which gives us courage.’

The Government has unveiled its new ‘Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan’, reaffirming the UK’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions while boosting economic growth. Energy secretary Ed Miliband said the plan will accelerate renewable energy, remove fossil fuels from the power grid by 2030, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2037. After a High Court ruling that the previous strategy lacked evidence to meet legal climate targets, the new plan outlines measures to expand clean power, promote heat pumps, and improve access to electric vehicle charging, while avoiding a gas boiler ban. A companion ‘Methane Action Plan’ aims to curb emissions from this potent greenhouse gas. Environmental groups largely welcomed the renewed ambition, though campaigners urged stronger action on aviation and housing. Critics warned of high costs and delayed delivery. Miliband insisted the plan would bring cleaner air, warmer homes, and new green jobs - securing a sustainable, prosperous future for coming generations.

The full environmental impact of the proposed Rosebank oil field, the UK’s largest undeveloped fossil fuel site some eighty miles north-west of Shetland, has now been revealed - and it is vast. The developers, Equinor and Ithaca Energy, have admitted that burning Rosebank’s oil and gas could release nearly 250 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over 25 years, equivalent to two-thirds of the UK’s current annual emissions. The figure, which dwarfs earlier estimates, follows a court ruling requiring a full assessment of the climate impact not just of extraction, but of using the fuels themselves. Environmental groups, including Greenpeace and Uplift, call the figures a stark warning that Rosebank is incompatible with Britain’s 2050 net-zero goal. The Government’s final decision, due after public consultation closes in November, will test its climate credibility. While the developers claim the emissions are ‘not significant’, critics insist that approving Rosebank would lock the UK into decades of pollution and contradict its clean energy ambitions.

India is facing a quiet but alarming environmental shift: it is literally losing sunlight. Over the past three decades, scientists have recorded a nationwide decline in sunshine hours, with clouds and air pollution jointly dimming the skies. Aerosols from vehicle emissions, crop burning, and industrial growth scatter sunlight and change cloud behaviour, blocking more solar radiation. According to recent studies, aerosols have reduced sunlight reaching the ground by about 13%, while clouds contribute an additional 31–44% loss. The impact extends far beyond gloomy days: it threatens agriculture, health, and India’s booming solar energy sector. Pollution already cuts solar power output by up to 41%, costing hundreds of millions in lost energy each year. Cleaner air could unlock enormous renewable potential and protect crop yields vital for millions. The Earth’s surface has gradually been receiving more sunlight since the 1980s, a process known as global brightening, but India risks running on fumes instead of full power, beneath a shroud of smog.

The strengthened commitment by China to cutting emissions and expanding renewable energy production may well accelerate Southeast Asia’s transition to a low-carbon economy. Analysts note that, as one of ASEAN’s key investors and trading partners in clean technology, China’s policies could encourage member states to attract more green investment while pursuing economic growth. Xi Jinping’s new climate targets include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 10 percent from peak levels by 2035, expanding wind and solar capacity to 3,600 gigawatts, and increasing nonfossil fuels to over 30 percent of total energy use. Experts say these goals will boost affordable renewable technologies (eg solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries) across ASEAN, fostering energy security and resilience. China’s $2.7 billion clean-energy investment and $4.3 billion trade with ASEAN could inspire other members to align with the global shift toward sustainable development and climate responsibility.

Energy secretary Ed Miliband has pledged to permanently ban fracking, calling it dangerous and deeply harmful, as he urged Labour activists in Liverpool to embrace clean energy as the future. He argued that fracking does nothing to lower bills, create sustainable jobs, or meet climate commitments, but damages the environment. Miliband contrasted Labour’s stance with Reform UK, who advocate expanded fossil fuel extraction, accusing them of betraying future generations. He described Reform as 'science-denying, poverty-driving extremists' and urged voters to reject their policies. Fracking, briefly permitted under Liz Truss before being banned again by Rishi Sunak, involves injecting fluid underground to release gas, a method widely criticised by environmental groups. Miliband tied Labour’s green vision to economic renewal, insisting clean energy is Britain’s best opportunity for job creation in decades, as well as the only sustainable solution to high energy bills.

Air quality alerts have been issued across Canada and northern USA as smoke from widespread wildfires continues to degrade air conditions, prompting urgent health warnings. Environment Canada has warned residents, especially in Ontario and Toronto (where air quality recently ranked among the worst globally), to limit outdoor exposure. Similar alerts have been issued in US cities like Chicago, where unhealthy ozone levels and residual smoke from Canadian fires are posing additional concerns. Wildfires raging across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and northern Ontario have forced tens of thousands to evacuate, with emergency responders working to assess the rapidly changing situation. Also, political tensions emerged after some Congress members said Canada’s wildfires were ‘making it difficult for Americans to enjoy their summer’. Scientists attribute the increasing intensity and frequency of wildfires to climate change; Canada is believed to be warming at twice the global rate.