The Latest Breaking News from Down to Earth

In this week’s Down To Earth newsletter: The oldest known newspaper column in existence has run since 1904, and gives an insight into the natural world that’s a striking reflection of the times

In this week’s Down to Earth newsletter: what the Guardian’s Sirin Kale saw when reporting on environmental disasters in Germany, Belgium and the UK

They can be found on raincoats, non-stick pans and plastic packaging. In the last 50 years, PFAS – short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – have made their way into many of our everyday objects. Dubbed "forever chemicals", they're extremely persistent and can stay in the air, water and soil…

In this week’s newsletter: The world has no choice but to halve carbon output by 2030 – one chart shows the way forward

In this week’s newsletter: Caleb Blair’s death showed how the climate crisis is a ‘risk multiplier’, amplifying problems with housing, mental health and addiction services, policing and more

A small town in Uttarakhand has made it to the front pages of newspapers, and as the top story in many television news shows. Joshimath, a town of a little under 17,000 people in Chamoli district, is already well-known to trekkers, those wanting to explore the Himalayas, and Hindu pilgrims.…

Rising gas and oil prices have plunged Europe into its worst energy crisis in decades. France has been hit hard, but perhaps not for the reasons you would expect. Nuclear and hydroelectric power, the country's main sources of electricity, are both running out of steam. Has the French energy mix…

The summer of 2022 has seen unprecedented droughts that have ravaged crops, threatening the livelihoods of millions across the world. France wasn't spared, with almost all departments facing water restrictions. Increasingly, farmers are turning to water reservoirs, a method decried by environmentalists. In this episode of Down to Earth we…

 What are the points of contention raised by experts on the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021?