A 30-foot- high monument entitled Turn off the plastics tap by Canadian activist and artist Benjamin von Wong was exhibited at the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2022. Credit: UNEP/Cyril Villemain By Simone GalimbertiKATHMANDU, Nepal, Jan 20 2025 – The last few weeks of 2024 were a disappointment for those who strongly believed that planet Earth is in need of bold actions. First,...

Salma Mahmoud Ali walks through her salt ponds. Credit: Kizito Shigela/IPS By Kizito MakoyePEMBA, Tanzania , Jan 20 2025 – As the cool morning breeze sweeps across the Indian Ocean beach in Tanzania’s Pemba archipelago, Salma Mahmoud Ali begins her day. With her brightly coloured Kikoi cinched tightly around her waist and a dark blue scarf framing her face, she walks barefoot toward her salt...

Homes with large, south-facing windows harness the winter sunlight, naturally warming interior spaces throughout the day. Credit: Umar Manzoor Shah/IPS By Umar Manzoor ShahSRINAGAR, India, Jan 20 2025 – India’s average temperature has risen by 0.7°C since 1901, bringing more frequent and intense heat waves, erratic rainfall patterns, and a marked decline in monsoon consistency since...

Martin Luther King Jr. rightly identified health inequity as the worst form of social injustice. Credit: bswise By Ifeanyi NsoforWASHINGTON DC, Jan 20 2025 – Every year, January 20 is celebrated as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement who fought for equality and justice, especially for Black people, through peaceful protests and powerful speeches. The day...