Getting fresh resources from the mix. Chemists have developed a nickel-based catalyst that breaks down stubborn plastics like polyethylene at far lower temperatures than today’s methods. The catalytic process converts unsorted plastic into reusable oils and waxes. https://f.mtr.cool/jgizhfwcaq

A brighter future for red and yellow mountain frogs. In Australia’s Gondwana Rainforest, critically endangered red and yellow mountain frogs are being successfully bred and seven teensy 3cm-sized frogs have already been released into the wild, with more to follow. https://f.mtr.cool/mombovnyqp

Electric wheels are on the move. Despite federal pushback, major US automakers are doubling down on EVs. Hyundai has lifted its US investment to $26 billion through 2027, Ford and GM have announced new models, and suppliers are retooling for electric components.  https://f.mtr.cool/vuxorurrpi

Solar clinics saving lives across Africa and beyond. A US$28 Million investment in solarisation in Zambia, Ethiopia, Uganda and Pakistan is helping ensure that vaccines stay cool, babies are born safely and health workers can care for patients day and night. https://f.mtr.cool/faccimqcib

A breath of fresh air for Paris. Paris air quality improves dramatically in a decade. Nitrogen dioxide and fine particle levels in Paris have dropped by around 40% since 2014. Cleaner vehicles, restricted traffic and EU directives have driven the decline.  https://f.mtr.cool/yyynczkcyc

Beaver: the new friend of farmers? Once controversial, beavers are now embraced by many farmers for their role in reducing floods. A major shift in farm subsidies, has helped the country move from tightly managed landscapes toward living more easily with nature. https://f.mtr.cool/cxorvymiod

China's waterways - from cleaning to regeneration. Having successfully cleaned 90% of its rivers, China is now rebuilding its wetlands and fisheries. With rivers visibly cleaner, policy is pivoting to reviving wetlands, safeguarding flows, and restoring fisheries. https://f.mtr.cool/ettenzvxcb

Mpox emergency is officially over in Africa. After surging in 2022–2023, the virus hasn’t disappeared, but case numbers have plummeted, and outbreaks are increasingly rare. Another reminder that we hear a lot when outbreaks happen, but not so much when they’re over! https://f.mtr.cool/hkbeiynaqk

It may be a dwarf but its orbit is vast. Astronomers have identified a distant icy object on the outer edge of our solar system. Measuring about 700 km across, "2017 OF201" takes roughly 25,000 years to complete its orbit around the sun.  https://f.mtr.cool/fxkbdpeaqx

The pioneers of ice age England. Stone tools found at a site in Norfolk suggest that our early human relatives survived in northern England during one of the harshest ice ages ever recorded, 440,000 years ago - much earlier than previously thought.   https://f.mtr.cool/mwcunwsizl

Reef relief in the Philippines. After nearly two decades of relentless advocacy, local communities in the Philippines have secured a new 3,500-hectare marine protected area in Palawan that will safeguard vital mangrove and coral ecosystems.  https://f.mtr.cool/syxonnqjwm

Renewables keep on out-pricing fossils. US fossil gas prices are set to double between 2024 and 2026, while the costs of wind and solar have fallen around three-fold in a decade. In nearly half the world, solar-plus-storage is already cheaper than coal or gas. https://f.mtr.cool/gfhjzrjmdl

The blue dragon bounces back. Grand Cayman’s blue iguana, once down to fewer than 25 individuals, now numbers more than 1,000 in the wild. Captive breeding, habitat restoration and community engagement reversed what was nearly a Caribbean extinction. https://f.mtr.cool/fbjclppsly

It's now easier to spot a jaguar in Mexico. You may have seen our recent post on jaguars in Argentina. The good news continues in Mexico, where the wild jaguar population has increased 30% since 2010, thanks in part to deep collaboration with Indigenous communities. https://f.mtr.cool/qcbnnoihlg

Life is a blast. Most of Earth’s species sprang from evolutionary ‘explosions.’ A groundbreaking study finds that the vast majority of known species can be traced back to just a few rapid bursts of evolution, often spurred by key innovations like flowers or flight.  https://f.mtr.cool/soaixechfz

New from us: India's power sector emissions fell for only the 2nd time in half a century, due to both economic and weather factors and record clean energy growth. The current drop is unlikely to be sustained but clean energy projects in the pipeline can peak power sector emissions well before 2030.

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When bison graze, the grass renews. Ecologists report that Yellowstone’s rebounding bison herds are reshaping grassland ecosystems, boosting plant diversity and carbon storage. Once reduced to a few dozen animals, the population now exceeds 6,000. https://f.mtr.cool/fyiiutvdbb

"One size fits all" viral proctecion? By targeting sugar molecules found on the surface of many viruses scientists at CUNY have taken a step towards the world’s first universal antiviral - a first line of defence against viruses with no obvious treatment.  https://f.mtr.cool/sdzsactfpi

Miracle drug brought back from the reject pile. A once-dismissed HIV drug may improve brain plasticity, and open up radical new possibilities for trauma and stroke recovery. It's called Maraviroc and is currently being trialled as a "neurorehabilitation pill."  https://f.mtr.cool/akgccbnvtr

Bouncing back from strokes just became a lot more possible. A national rollout of an AI triage system across stroke centres in the UK is set to double the proportion of patients receiving clot-removing treatment within minutes of hospital arrival. https://f.mtr.cool/eksseiwkum

The angle of the Yangtze smiles again. Thanks to a bold 10-year fishing ban, factory relocations, and major community support, "smiling angel" finless porpoise are retunring from the brink of extinction, with numbers rising by nearly 25% in just five years. https://f.mtr.cool/wbbjzppfkb

CRISPR just got crisper. Tiny DNA-coated particles are set to deliver CRISPR into cells three times more effectively than current methods. These “spherical nucleic acids” act like protective taxis, carrying the full CRISPR editing toolkit safely inside the cell.  https://f.mtr.cool/dunxvgbqqq

A new low in lock-ups. America’s prison population is at its lowest since 1992, with around 1.2 million people behind bars, down from 1.6 million in 2009. The shift reflects sentencing reforms, drug decriminalisation, diversion to treatment, and falling violent crime. https://f.mtr.cool/buskpznxff

A remedy for the Earth's toxic vinyl collection. Designers have created a vinyl material embedded with biodegradable enzymes that can decompose within months after disposal. The new material retains durability in use while rapidly degrading at end-of-life. https://f.mtr.cool/hcmligkhbk

Stop trawling my bottom! Scotland is officially banning bottom trawling in 11 marine protected areas starting October 16, in a move welcomed by both environmental groups and the Scottish Fisherman’s Federation. https://f.mtr.cool/igqtxnsfsx

Sending light through air  New hollow-core fiber optics that guide light through air have been developed at the University of Southampton. They reduce signal loss and latency and let signals travel up to 45% faster than they do through solid fiberglass.  https://f.mtr.cool/xbotdgaadh

Can you talk feline? Behavioural scientists have shown that slow eye-narrowing, known as a ‘cat smile’ elicits friendly responses from domestic cats. In experiments, animals were more likely to approach and purr when humans used the gesture.  https://f.mtr.cool/rrsuprissy

Turtle numbers head north in the Eastern Pacific Since US (1978) and Mexico (1990) protections and grassroots enforcement, nesting turtles at Colola Beach, California have risen from 212 in 1992 to 27,000 in 2024.  https://f.mtr.cool/nvrkqspqsy

Farewell to the humanoid with two brains? It used to be, if you wanted a robot to do two tasks, you had to essentially give it two “brains”. However, Boston Dynamics now trains 'Atlas' on a single large behaviour model that coordinates all body movements.  https://f.mtr.cool/bybocawseb

No means no in Norway. Norway’s parliament has approved a landmark Consent Act making clear that sex without explicit agreement counts as rape. Supporters say it strengthens protection for victims and shifts responsibility onto perpetrators after years of campaigning. https://f.mtr.cool/vqwyrfzrtg

The book may be closing on US greyhound gambling. A bipartisan bill currently in the US Congress could end gambling on greyhound racing. Once a national pastime, the industry has collapsed amid welfare scandals, leaving just a handful of tracks still operating. https://f.mtr.cool/svadhngmra

One wild cub spells hope for jaguars. Conservationists have confirmed the birth of a wild jaguar cub in Argentina’s Gran Chaco where the species was once locally extinct. Decades of habitat protection are helping the big cats' reintroduction to this dry forest region. https://f.mtr.cool/pooajgivyp

Bluefin tuna surge back to Cornish waters. After decades of absence, bluefin tuna are again common off Cornwall. Warmer seas, improved fishery management and EU-UK quotas have allowed populations to rebound, drawing scientists, anglers and eco-tourism operators. https://f.mtr.cool/dopguqaheq

Solar clinics saving lives across Africa and beyond. A US$28 Million investment in solarisation in Zambia, Ethiopia, Uganda and Pakistan is helping ensure that vaccines stay cool, babies are born safely and health workers can care for patients day and night. https://f.mtr.cool/jliuohidma

"Come on down, the price (of rice) is right!" Favourable weather and decades of farming improvements mean the world is on track for its biggest rice crop in nearly two decades, pushing prices down to their lowest in 18 years, and easing food costs for billions. https://f.mtr.cool/hxxoxesasi

Their land in their hands - a First Nations win. After decades in court, the Millewa-Mallee people of north-west Victoria have won legal recognition of their native title over 800 km² of land securing rights to protect places of cultural and spiritual significance. https://f.mtr.cool/qvilxhxzxi

Removing the toxic temptation to take one's life. Sri Lanka’s decision to phase out deadly pesticides has helped cut suicide rates by nearly two-thirds since the late 1990s. With only less toxic alternatives to hand there have been far fewer deaths.  https://f.mtr.cool/wwfcehdzke

Children given the gift of growth. Child stunting has dropped from 36% to 19% in Viet Nam since 2000, and from 35% to 18% in Ghana since the 1990s. Gains stem from poverty reduction, maternal education and stronger health systems. https://f.mtr.cool/pgdomeapgp https://f.mtr.cool/uksltsifyj

An incredible oncological breakthrough. Novartis’s radioligand therapy has completely cleared metastatic cancers in trial patients - an unprecedented result.  https://f.mtr.cool/kgrehsxgmv

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A rise in respect for our children. The WHO’s first global report shows the number of countries banning corporal punishment of children has jumped from 11 in 2000 to 67 in 2024. The shift represents a generational change in recognising children’s rights. https://f.mtr.cool/bcdllrqvxa

A cool change for the planet's lungs. Fires in the Brazilian Amazon have dropped by nearly two-thirds. Area burned fell 65% in July 2025 vs July 2024. Officials attribute the decline to anti-deforestation policies and community fire prevention programmes. https://tinyurl.com/258ovp9y

Moment of truth for large scale fusion. In southern France, 35 nations are collaborating to build the world's largest tokamak, a magnetic fusion device designed to sustain burning plasma - and US engineers just started the final assembly of the reactor core.  https://f.mtr.cool/unotaatoeu

1/ Climate change isn't a global problem, it's a China problem. Since the Paris Agreement entered into force in 2016, China has been responsible for around 90% of the world’s emissions growth. Think about that for a moment.

Beauty: no longer in the eye of the rodent. Products like shampoo, perfume and makeup must now rely on cruelty-free safety methods in the world’s fourth-largest beauty market, after Brazil bans the sale of cosmetics developed through animal testing.  https://f.mtr.cool/kzgfoglqmu

Thank you sunshine! Global solar installations surge. In the first half of 2025, the world added 380 GW of new solar capacity, a 64% jump from the first six months of 2024. It took until September last year to surpass 350 GW; in 2025 we crossed that threshold in June. https://f.mtr.cool/nrdrfwxwej

Mini marsupial bounces back from the brink! Once listed as Endangered, the crest-tailed mulgara expanded its range by more than 48,000 km² between 2015 and 2021, lifting its status to Least Concern. Biocontrol contributed to the heartwarming bounce-back. https://f.mtr.cool/afllseseeb

Chicago River flows with health. After over a century of industrial abuse, the Chicago River is now seeing fish populations return, recreational use expand and pollution decline after multi-billion-dollar investments in sewage treatment and stormwater infrastructure. https://f.mtr.cool/glqllrcdlj

Solar flight hits new heights. The SolarStratos aircraft, powered entirely by solar energy, has set a new altitude record for solar-electric planes by flying over the Alps, at over 8,000 metres, in a five-hour flight.  https://f.mtr.cool/gfempjmrtr