What on Earth?

The United Nations has recently conceded that it is now “unavoidable” for the world to remain within the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.   This means ambitious, rapid action is more essential than ever – and there are few better places to start than reducing our emissions of super pollutants such as nitrous oxide, methane and hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant gases, which collectively account for as much as 45 per cent of the current warming we’re experiencing.   Joining Senior Press & Communications Officer Paul Newman to discuss how and why this should be done are EIA Senior Climate Campaigner Tom Nickson and special guest David Kanter, an Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at New York University and Chair of the International Nitrogen Initiative.

Environmental crime is often regarded as a series of disparate issues, from wildlife trafficking and illegal logging to waste dumping and illegal fishing.   But according to EIA's latest major report, Crimes that Affect the Environment – STILL a Critical Threat to Our Future, these crimes are increasingly connected, driven by organised criminal networks and fuelling the climate, biodiversity and pollution crises.   And nearly 20 years after EIA first highlighted the threat, many of the same weaknesses in tackling the problem persist.    In this episode, EIA’s Securing Criminal Justice Programme Lead Justin Gosling and Senior Forests Campaigner Kate Klikis join Senior Press and Communications Officer Paul Newman to explore the scale of the problem and what governments and international institutions must do to respond.

The leading UK supermarkets have made limited progress in reducing plastic packaging for fresh fruit and vegetables, despite signing up to the UK Plastics Pact’s voluntary commitment to sell at least 30 per cent of uncut fresh produce loose by 2025.   But the new EIA report UK Supermarket Sale of Loose Unpackaged Produce – Trends, barriers and opportunities reveals that transparency about loose produce sales has actually worsened since our last comparable dataset in 2021.    In this episode, EIA Ocean Campaigner Lauren Weir unwraps the facts with Senior Press and Communications Officer Paul Newman.

Vietnam has made laudable progress in recent years to shut illicit timber out of its supply chains and so keep access to the lucrative export markets on which its huge furniture industry relies. But new investigations by EIA’s Forests team have revealed that those efforts are in danger of being undermined by high-risk timber entering from neighbouring Cambodia and Laos, with the true nature of these imports hidden behind sophisticated fake paperwork scams. In this episode, Thomas Chung, EIA Forests Campaign Leader on Timber, unpacks the findings of our new report Manufacturing Legality with Senior Press and Communications Officer Paul Newman.

Humans tend to respond to threats we can see, but the world’s mounting plastics pollution crisis isn’t just a matter of what’s visible.  In this episode, we take a closer look at microplastics, tiny particles which have been found from the deepest ocean floors to the highest mountain peaks and everywhere inbetween – including in human blood, brains and placental tissue. Joining EIA Senior Press and Communications Officer is special guest Sedat Gündoğdu, a marine biologist and environmental researcher at Türkiye’s Çukurova University, EIA Legal and Policy Specialist Amy Youngman and EIA Senior Lawyer Tim Grabiel. 

Ongoing negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty effectively ground to halt in Geneva last year when talks ended without an agreement or even a timeline for what happens next. But the process doesn’t need to be left in limbo, held hostage by a small number of petrostates and vested fossil fuel interests intent on blocking it – new research commissioned by EIA shows there are several alternative ways to make progress without the need for a global consensus. In this episode, Chris Dixon, EIA Ocean Programme Leader, and Ocean Campaigner Hannah Hughes join Senior Press and Communications Officer Paul Newman to explore the possibilities.

In recent years, rhino poaching and horn seizures have become less visible in the news – but that doesn't mean these majestic creatures are free from the threats posed by poachers and illegal trade.  In this episode, we dive into two recent reports from our colleagues at EIA US which shed light on the complexities of rhino horn trafficking, particularly focusing on an analysis of enforcement efforts in China and the ongoing push in South Africa for a legalised trade to allow exports of horn to other countries. Taylor Tench, a Senior Wildlife Policy Analyst at EIA US, joins EIA UK Senior Press and Communications Officer Paul Newman to talk about the key findings of both reports.

Recent findings from an investigation by our colleagues at EIA US reveal a shocking truth about cobalt production in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Cobalt is an essential element in the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles in the Global North – but its production in DRC has left communities grappling with severe respiratory issues linked to the pollution from a new processing facility. In this episode, EIA US Africa Programme Campaigner Luke Allen joins EIA UK Senior Press & Communications Officer Paul Newman to discuss the findings of the investigation, documented in the report Toxic Transition.

Why do the world’s whales still need saving from commercial hunting? The International Whaling Commission effectively banned commercial whaling from 1986 and yet the world’s amazing and environmentally essential whales are still being hunted for their flesh and blubber. EIA has joined forces with several partners to launch a new global petition calling on the last three whaling nations to join the 21st century and to stop the slaughter for good. In this episode, EIA Senior Ocean Advisor Clare Perry talks with Senior Press and Communications Officer Paul Newman about the history of whaling, the countries that defy the ban to keep on hunting and the new petition we’ve launched with partners to press for a complete end to the appalling and unnecessary practice. You can make your voice heard by signing the petition at https://endcommercialwhaling.org/– and do please share it with family and friends.

In recent years, nitrous oxide has gained attention as a significant environmental threat, yet many people remain unaware of its implications for the climate, the integrity of the Earth’s protective ozone layer and for human health. While nitrogen is essential for life, excessive reactive nitrogen results in substantial pollution issues … In this episode, Climate Campaigner Tom Nickson talks with Senior Press & Communications Officer Paul Newman about EIA’s nitrous oxide campaign and unpacks some of the complexities surrounding the gas and its negative effects.