Displaying items by tag: pollution

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

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 UK’s largest nuclear site, Sellafield in Cumbria, may continue leaking radioactive water into the ground until the 2050s, a decade later than previously expected, according to a recent report. The leak stems from the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS), described by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) as ‘the most hazardous building in the UK’. The MSSS has been leaking since 2018; the report warned that delays and missed targets in cleaning up the site pose ‘intolerable risks’ and could prolong the danger. It also highlighted cost overruns, slow progress, and cultural issues at Sellafield, urging the Government to treat the situation with greater urgency. Though the NDA claims the leak is contained and not a threat to the public, MPs warn that the site’s condition is a present-day hazard, not a distant concern. Plans for a permanent underground nuclear waste storage facility remain years from completion.

To celebrate Earth Day (22 April), environmental activists gathered at a beach in Cape Town to clean the coastline and raise awareness about plastic pollution. Organiser Lyniel Traut called for a 60% reduction in plastic production by 2040, urging corporations to both act and educate. Another activist said she wanted her children and grandchildren to grow up in a safe, pollution free, environment. Earth Day also spotlighted hidden plastic pollution from synthetic clothing. Rachael Z Miller, founder of the Rozalia Project, explained how polyester garments shed microfibres which end up in oceans, harming marine life and potentially entering the human food chain. To combat this, she has developed the Cora Ball - a laundry tool which reduces fibre shedding and captures microplastics before they reach waterways. Though helpful, such tools are just a start: the UN has urged the textile industry to shift towards a more sustainable production model to reduce its climate impact. See

Archbishop Andrew John of Wales has emphasised the importance of joint action in addressing the crisis of river pollution. A Church-led summit on river pollution is set for November, bringing together over 70 farmers, water industry representatives, environmentalists, and academics from across the UK. The archbishop acknowledged the complexity of restoring rivers, with competing demands, but stressed the need for cooperation across different sectors. He defended the Church’s involvement in secular matters, emphasising its responsibility to engage with critical issues such as climate change. He also praised athletes in the Paris Olympics, particularly the Refugee Olympic team, as examples of collaboration and mutual support. Archbishop Andrew urged the Church to continue fostering unity and cooperation within its global community and ministry areas. He also encouraged strategic, ambitious proposals for the Church's £100m Growth Fund, designed to support outreach projects over the next decade.

In Hong Kong's marinas, a new type of vessel is making waves - an uncrewed, solar-powered catamaran, designed to autonomously clean up plastic waste from waterways. It collects floating trash using a conveyor belt, capturing up to 200 kilos per hour. Launched as a university project in 2020, Clearbot has since expanded its operations to various locations across Hong Kong, Thailand, and India, targeting polluted rivers and lakes. The boats are equipped with advanced algorithms for autonomous navigation and waste analysis, providing valuable data to help prevent further pollution. The boats are also able to perform other environmental tasks, such as clearing algae and removing invasive species. The startup aims to revolutionise marine operations by offering an eco-friendly alternative to traditional, fossil fuel-powered boats, thereby contributing to the reduction of marine pollution and promoting sustainable practices.

Beaches in Bexhill and Normans Bay in East Sussex have been closed after untreated wastewater was released into the sea at the shoreline. Hastings borough council also advised people against swimming at Pelham Beach due to pollution. Southern Water said they were ‘deeply sorry’ and understood ‘the distress this causes’. The liquid, including sewage, was released when the primary power and back-up system failed on 17 August. A member of Bexhill SeaGals sea-swimming group believes water companies should be ‘held accountable’, adding, ‘It is unbelievable and outrageous that they can continue to get away with this’. The head of Surfers Against Sewage said, ‘Years of underinvestment are now in plain sight. It is time that huge water company profits were diverted to properly managing water and sewage and protecting people and planet. Our rivers and beaches should not be subject to this type of industrial environmental vandalism.’

Scott Morrison's government is criticised for its inaction on climate change. When Australia - long considered a climate policy laggard – holds an election on 21 May, the outcome could be significant for the planet's future. Still reliant on coal for most electricity, it is one of the dirtiest countries per capita, making up over 1% of global emissions with only 0.3% of the world's population. It is also a massive supplier of fossil fuels globally; when that is factored in, it accounts for 3.6% of the world's emissions. Australia is most at risk from climate change, having recently suffered severe drought, historic bushfires, successive years of record-breaking floods, and six mass bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef. It is racing towards a future full of similar disasters. Climate policy played a role in toppling three prime ministers in a decade. Most voters want tougher climate action, but some coal towns in swing constituencies are key to winning elections.

Donna Anderson loved living near the Trent and Mersey canal, but when it rained her garden was flooded with sewage from the canal and nearby streams. She has had to install extra drainage. It is believed the culprit is Severn Trent Water dumping sewage once a month on average into Barton-under-Needwood stream. This is not a nasty isolated incident. Dozens of people’s lives are blighted by raw effluent being pumped into rivers, canals and streams by water companies across the country. Water companies can discharge raw sewage into rivers in ‘exceptional circumstances’ of heavy rainfall which could cause flooding, but it is happening with alarming regularity. In 2020, sewage spilled into rivers 403,171 times, with serious consequences. Sewage is damaging the quality of over a third of rivers. The Daily Telegraph is calling for action to protect England’s waterways from devastating pollution: see

It is fire season in Thailand, with hundreds of patches of farmland and forest ablaze in the north, belching toxic fumes into the atmosphere and poisoning the air. Tiny pollution particles caused an estimated 32,000 premature deaths in Thailand in 2019, according to a global report. Along with exhaust fumes and crop burning, smoke from the wildfires contributes to the problem. On the worst days this year, drifting smoke made Chiang Mai the most polluted city in the world. As the years go by, the pollution is getting worse. Each year, on average, northern Thailand has been swathed in smoke for eight weeks, causing thousands of health problems. In the first three months of this year 200,000 people in eight provinces have been made ill by toxic particles in the air, according to health officials. ‘Most of the people hospitalised already had chronic diseases,’ said the director-general of the ministry of public health.