Global Scans · Environment · Weekly Summary

---

WHAT'S NEXT:? Our natural environment is under ever-increasing threat. Landscape and ocean adaptation plus stabilizing biodiversity strategies will play an important role in maintaining global food productivity as climate changes. Evidence is mounting that any economic strategy that ignores carbon pollution will impose tremendous costs on the global economy and will result in fewer jobs and less economic growth over the long term. The global market for commercial "Earth observation" data is expected to hit $3.5 billion by 2024. Battles over environmental regulation could become particularly pointed in the coming years.

• [New] Climate change poses a significant threat to life on Earth, and a major driver of climate change is the emission of greenhouse gases that include CO2. Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board
• [New] Climate Risks: Heatwaves, urban pollution and extreme weather are rising faster than India's health, water and urban adaptation capacities. INSIGHTS IAS - Simplifying UPSC IAS Exam Preparation
• [New] Breaking the Plastic Wave 2025: An Assessment of the Global System and Strategies for Transformative Change projects that plastic pollution could jump from 130 million to 280 million metric tonnes by 2040, driven by production growth that far outstrips improvements in waste management. SYSTEMIQ
• [New] Nearly eliminating plastic pollution from the packaging sector and reducing plastic pollution from all major economic sectors by 83% by 2040 is possible with international political attention, commitment of resources and existing technologies, continued innovation, and strategic policy approaches. The Pew Charitable Trusts
• [New] Under System Transformation, by 2040, annual combined macroplastic and microplastic pollution falls by 83%, from 280 Mt per year under BAU to 47 Mt per year. The Pew Charitable Trusts
• [New] We find that - once technical, social and environmental risks are considered - the world's available reserves of geological carbon storage are significantly more limited than most estimates suggest. Reccessary
• [New] Widespread EV adoption could reduce climate pollution worldwide by over 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year. Yale Climate Connections
• [New] Solar flares and coronal mass ejections often occur simultaneously, creating a space storm environment that can cause disruptions far beyond our planet's atmosphere. The Daily Galaxy - Great Discoveries Channel
• [New] NASA has linked increased risks for severe storms to planet-warming air pollution, generated partly by electricity generation from dirty fuels. Yahoo News
• [New] Solar eruptions can grow to truly catastrophic scales, having the potential to wreak havoc on electrical systems and Earth-orbiting satellites. Live Science
• [New] China asserts dominance over rare earth minerals, controlling 61% of global production and over 90% of processing, by imposing export controls that could halt industrial operations worldwide for essential components in missiles, electric vehicles, and smartphones. GeopoliticsUnplugged Substack
• [New] Lithium extraction has heavy environmental and public health costs, and supply chains are dominated by China, presenting critical geopolitical trade-offs and vulnerabilities. oilprice.com
• [New] AI's overall influence on worldwide pollution is small and could even support environmental and economic progress. ScienceDaily
• [New] As new objects arrive and existing objects break apart, low Earth orbit could approach Kessler syndrome. The Conversation
• [New] Starlink's super-smart low-Earth-orbit satellites mean we will have strong, reliable connectivity even over oceans and empty wastelands. Meon Travel
• [New] ISRO is preparing for its first crewed mission in early 2027, which will demonstrate readiness for sustained human operations in low Earth orbit and support future lunar objectives. CryptoRank
• [New] As the world continues to grapple with environmental challenges, the potential for AI to drive sustainable development becomes increasingly evident. Ryz Labs

Last updated: 13 December 2025