Global Scans · Nature · Weekly Summary

---

WHAT''S NEXT?: Oceans, animals, and land are all under threat from climate change and human activities. The effective and efficient conservation of agricultural biodiversity is vital to meeting the global challenges of food and nutritional security for an expanding world population. But, the signs are of continued degradation of our global natural resources and environment.

• [New] Scientists warn that Earth is being pushed toward critical climate tipping points - thresholds beyond which self-reinforcing feedback loops (such as permafrost thaw, ice-sheet collapse, forest dieback) could trigger runaway changes, potentially irreversible on human timescales. Countercurrents
• [New] Nature-based solutions, primarily forest conservation and restoration, can deliver 37% of the cost-effective climate mitigation needed by 2030. Planetary Guardians
• [New] The 30×30 targets implicate the need to restore 10,000 km2 of kelp forest, 17,000 km2 of seagrass, and 29,000 km2 of mangrove habitat by 2030. Nature
• [New] Many Black communities in Metro Atlanta face high levels of environmental exposures that can negatively impact the health of Black children, and scientists are faced with the challenge of effectively communicating the dangers of environmental exposures to diverse communities. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• [New] Children in the Greater Philadelphia area face a number of environmental threats to their health, including lead poisoning, asthma from air pollution, and exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• [New] The lungs of the Earth, a lifeboat against climate change, a filter against sentiment destroying the Great Barrier Reef and a haven for wildlife will be provided real protection, while incentives will be provided to support a modern forestry industry based on plantations. The Guardian
• [New] Nature-based solutions could reduce runoff, increase channel stability and benefit the environment. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] Projects in environmentally sensitive areas, such as roads and other large-scale works in the Amazon, could be carried out quickly and without environmental safeguards, increasing Brazil's greenhouse gas emissions, in direct contradiction with the COP 30 agenda. Instituto Socioambiental - ISA
• [New] Mining giant BHP Mitsubishi Alliance will not invest in expanding its Saraji East coal project in Central Queensland despite receiving state government environmental approvals this week. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] A diet high in fiber could possibly reverse the adverse effects that environmental toxins have on cardiovascular health. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• [New] The partnership with the forest department and civic conservation groups will set an important example not just for Maharashtra, but for corporate environmental responsibility nationwide. The Times Of India
• [New] By ending plastic exports, poorer countries will not be inundated with plastic waste, and the UK will be forced to take responsibility for its environmental impact. Impakter
• [New] Ending exports of unprocessed plastic packaging waste by 2030 would allow the UK to take control of its environmental responsibilities and seize a clear economic opportunity. Impakter
• [New] Despite being a serious environmental threat, there is no comprehensive public understanding between the growth of AI and data center development and their link to global mining operations. Hoosier Environmental Council - all. together. now.
• [New] On another thread, the mining for materials required to power data centers presents an additional threat to habitat loss on a global scale. Hoosier Environmental Council - all. together. now.
• [New] Environmental groups and some vessel operators have criticized the Executive Order, warning it could cause irreversible harm to marine ecosystems and undermine international efforts to regulate DSM responsibly. Passle
• [New] President Biden is committed to securing environmental justice and spurring economic opportunity for disadvantaged communities that are marginalized and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment in housing, transportation, water and wastewater infrastructure, and health care. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• [New] For the first time, leading researchers from the fields of healthcare, ocean science, and social science have collaborated to quantify plastic's considerable risks to all life on Earth. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• [New] COP 30, held in Belem, will show the limits of Brazilian soft power in leading the global environmental agenda while increasing oil production, expanding the fossil fuel frontier, and boosting agribusiness that exacerbates the climate crisis and its extreme weather events. International Viewpoint - online socialist magazine
• [New] 2026 will continue the shift in luxury hospitality towards cultural richness, environmental sensitivity, and experiences that will allow the modern luxury traveler to immerse themselves in their surroundings. The Manual
• [New] New DEFRA initiatives, including the Hospitality Waste & Resource Strategy 2025, are expected to introduce stricter waste-reporting and recycling requirements, while updated licensing and environmental-impact reporting could add administrative costs. 9AM Business
• [New] The US has proposed cutting Earth science funding by 50%, creating uncertainty that could reshape the global balance of civilian EO leadership. TerraWatch Space Newsletter

Last updated: 06 December 2025