Global Scans · Environment · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT:? Our natural environment is under ever-increasing threat. Landscape and ocean adaptation plus stabilizing biodiversity strategies will play an important role in maintaining global food productivity as climate changes. Evidence is mounting that any economic strategy that ignores carbon pollution will impose tremendous costs on the global economy and will result in fewer jobs and less economic growth over the long term. The global market for commercial "Earth observation" data is expected to hit $3.5 billion by 2024. Battles over environmental regulation could become particularly pointed in the coming years.

• [New] There are high hopes that artificial intelligence can help tackle some of the world's most pressing environmental challenges. Science Publishing Group
• [New] By integrating terrestrial towers with Low Earth Orbit satellites and high-altitude platforms (drones), 6G will provide 100% global coverage. GlobalLogic | Digital Product Engineering Services
• [New] The greatest potential to reduce species extinction risk in the Northern Sub-catchments of San Jose, Costa Rica, lies in addressing habitat loss and degradation due to livestock farming and ranching, urban expansion, and the spread of non-native invasive species. IUCN
• [New] About 15,000 spacecraft are currently in orbit, increasing the risk of collisions in low Earth orbit and the geosynchronous belt. Economic Times
• [New] By integrating collision risk into early mission design, we ensure Earth-observation missions can be planned more responsibly, balancing data quality with the need to protect the orbital environment. Engineering and Technology Magazine
• [New] The vast majority of known asteroids orbit within the main asteroid belt located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, but some asteroids pass in proximity to Earth, thereby threatening all life on Earth. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Persistent and widespread environmental populations of mirror bacteria would expose humans, animals and plants to an ongoing risk of infection - a serious threat to humans and to global ecosystems. Michigan State University
• [New] While AI offers immense potential for protecting the planet, it raises an uncomfortable paradox: the very systems designed to save the environment may themselves be contributing to its degradation. Science Publishing Group
• [New] A coalition of environmental and clean-shipping groups is urging the International Maritime Organization to block any move that would allow ammonia-fueled ships to discharge toxic waste at sea, warning that shipping's push toward zero-emission fuels must not come at the expense of ocean health. gCaptain
• [New] Non-profit group the Environmental Defense Fund estimates that there will be an additional 7.5-18 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases - three times the amount emitted in a year at present - emitted by 2055. BBC News
• [New] By proactively addressing the challenges of leakage, ecological risk, and integration with renewables and hydrogen, stakeholders across agriculture, energy, mining, and construction will maximize both the economic benefits and environmental safeguards offered by natural gas in the mid-2020s. Farmonaut
• [New] Explore Farmonaut's satellite-based mineral detection platform - it combines Earth observation and AI to identify high-potential mineral zones and optimize exploration, decreasing upfront costs and ecological risks. Farmonaut
• [New] A new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report warns that for every US$1 invested in protecting nature, US$30 goes to activities that harm it. United Nations
• [New] Trade controls, particularly from China, global supply chain disruptions, and escalating national security priorities are continuing to impact demand, sourcing and pricing of critical minerals and rare earth elements. Walker Morris
• [New] The U.S will reduce its dependence on China for critical rare earth minerals to advance their own technologies. Strafasia | Strategy, analysis, News and insight of Eme
• [New] Oil exploitation in the Amazon river mouth has demonstrated real environmental risks. Greenpeace International
• [New] Reaching the EU's objectives - including climate neutrality by 2050 and the Zero Pollution targets for 2030 - requires sustained efforts. Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen
• [New] Environmental standard implementations demand carbon-neutral mining operations by 2035, requiring substantial renewable energy infrastructure investments. Discovery Alert

Last updated: 21 February 2026