A golf course at Newbiggin Golf Club with manicured green fairways and sandy dunes in the foreground. A tractor is maintaining the course while a golfer pulls a trolley nearby. In the background, wind turbines and power lines stretch across the horizon, contrasting the natural landscape with industrial elements.

Greening the Fairway

Golf courses occupy more land than renewable energy – repurposing them could boost solar and wind capacity.

A large airtanker plane drops a vivid red cloud of fire retardant over a smoky, burning hillside in Chelan, Washington. The wildfire, part of the Chelan Complex fire, creeps dangerously close to residential homes nestled at the base of the hills. Thick smoke drifts across the landscape, partially obscuring the scorched terrain. The scene captures the intense effort to protect the community from the advancing flames.

Burned to Earth

Wildfire retardants have been found to contain toxic metals, impacting soil and water.

This image features the side view of a mummified body, titled ‘Mummy and Painted Cartonnage of an Unknown Woman’, housed at the Walters Art Museum. Dating back to between 850 and 750 BC, the mummy is encased in a human-shaped covering made from layers of linen and plaster, known as cartonnage. The painted decoration is vivid and intricate, featuring a floral wreath on the wig, a broad collar, and a winged scarab beetle at the chest. Below this, the cartonnage is adorned with five registers showing protective deities, sacred symbols, and a hieroglyphic inscription. The artisanry highlights the Egyptian belief in the Ka, or life force, and the need to preserve the body as a home for this spirit after death. The background is a neutral grey, emphasizing the detailed colours and patterns of the mummification art.

Preserved in Scent

Current scents on ancient Egyptian mummies have been found to reflect original embalming materials.

A chain-link fence in the foreground encloses a dimly lit site with a concrete floor. Several rats are visible scurrying across the ground, one near a discarded popcorn container. Orange and white safety barriers line the edges of the site, and faint tire tracks mark the dusty pavement. The scene is illuminated by artificial lighting, casting a muted glow over the area.

Ruin’s Vermin

Rats are thriving in warming, expanding cities, with rising populations linked to climate change, posing risks to health and infrastructure.

A polluted section of the Huron River shoreline in Michigan, where foamy, discoloured water swirls around fallen tree trunks and debris. A slick, pale layer of contamination floats on the water's surface, contrasting with the dark, reflective river. Green leaves sprout from the foreground, juxtaposing natural growth with visible pollution.

Leavings

PFAS are persistent chemical pollutants, but bacteria can help degrade them over time.

This image shows a map of the Arctic region highlighting ground temperature trends from 2000 to 2019. Areas with significant permafrost thaw are marked in shades of red, while cooler areas are in blue. The map includes various Arctic settlements and administrative boundaries, providing a detailed visual representation of the changing permafrost landscape.

Frost’s Defeat

Arctic permafrost thaw endangers communities, ecosystems, and infrastructures, necessitating adaptive strategies and policies.

A schematic representation of an owl hunting a rodent at night, illustrating the interplay of radiometric quantities affecting camouflage. The owl's white underparts reflect light, while the diagram shows arrows representing light from the moonlit sky, ground reflectance, and other radiometric factors, demonstrating how the owl blends into the background. The rodent, depicted below the owl, observes the scene. Various mathematical symbols label radiometric quantities, including sky radiance, ground reflectance, and light interactions.

Beneath the Hunter’s Gaze

Barn owls’ white plumage camouflages them against moonlit skies, enabling stealthy hunting by blending into their background and avoiding detection.

A serene sunset over a calm body of water, with the golden-orange glow of the sun illuminating the surface. Silhouetted mountains form a jagged horizon in the distance, and a small boat drifts peacefully across the water. The scene evokes a sense of tranquillity and natural beauty.

Burning Seas

Ocean temperatures in 2024 reached record highs, signalling escalating global warming, with severe consequences for weather, ecosystems, and vulnerable communities.

A vast, turbulent expanse of the Southern Ocean, with deep blue waves crested by white foam, under a grey, misty sky that blends with the horizon.

Tangled Currents

Microplastics are endangering the Southern Ocean’s ecosystem.

Two see-through plastic teabags, next to one another on a black background.

Infusions

Some teabags have been found to release micro- and nanoplastics, which in turn are absorbed into the body.