#nature

On July 5, 2021, Europe banned sales of single-use plastics such as drinking straws, cutlery and cotton buds. With almost 90,000 tons of rubbish in the Pacific alone, these, and other similar measures, are sweeping the globe in an attempt to stem the flow of plastic reaching our oceans.

A study in Nature magazine shows that in 2020 the volume of materials made by mankind outweighed the volume of all the living beings for the first time in history. Which is why some scientists are suggesting that we have entered the anthropocene, a new geological era marked by the impact of mankind. Here are its characteristics and its effects on the environment.

2022 again closed with one of the highest temperatures in history since records began in 1880. This is coupled with the fact that of the 10 warmest years in history, 9 have occurred in the last 9 years. The consequences of the increase in the Earth's average temperature range from rising oceans to the proliferation of extreme weather events.

From oceans to farmland, microplastics are everywhere – even in our bodies. Explore the dangers they pose, where they're found, and what we can do to reduce their impact.

Plastic has reached the deepest point on the planet, a place — the Challenger Deep — located 11,000 metres below sea level where very few people have visited. This discovery is the best proof of the magnitude of the problem and that the time has come to become aware of it and do everything possible to reverse the situation.

Ecovillages are small, self-sufficient communities that live from and for their natural surroundings. There are more than 10,000 ecovillages in the world, mainly in rural areas where their inhabitants build societies based on cooperation, self-sufficiency, renewable energies and ecological materials. Find out how they work...