This Week on Earth: Feb 19-26

New Pollution Reduction Laws

Australia announced plans to triple the Macquarie Island Marine Park in the Southern Ocean to protect wildlife. The new area will be about the size of Germany and will increase the amount of protected ocean environments to 48.2%, as reported by The Guardian.

Thailand announced a ban on imported plastic waste, banning all plastic waste imports by 2025, reported by Bloomberg. 

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. Voted to ban the sale an public use of balloons in order to protect marine wildlife and reduce pollution, as reported by ABC7.

New Report Findings

The International Energy Agency (IEA) released a report stating that global carbon emissions, specifically methane, could reach pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year unless governments take significant action to reduce them. About 40% of methane emissions come from the energy sector, second only to agriculture, as reported by Reuters.

A new report found that pollution levels in a low-emission zone in London cut pollution by 46%. London Mayor Sadiq Khan plans to extend it across all of London starting August 2023. However, some argue that the local government is not doing enough to make this transition financially feasible for London commuters, as reported by BBC.