Fiona Harvey: SEAL Award Winner 2020

A selection of this year’s best environmental journalism

World is running out of time on climate, experts warn

“With global heating showing no sign of slowing, and the danger signals of climate breakdown increasingly evident — from the Arctic ice to American wildfires — the race is on to build the global economy back better.”
Source: The Guardian (Approx. 12 minutes)

Intensive farming worldwide threatens Paris climate accord, report says

“Artificial fertilisers make up about two-thirds of the emissions of nitrous oxide from farming. The gas is released when microbes in the soil break down the excess fertiliser, particularly in the boggy or over-wet ground where there is less oxygen.”
Source: The Guardian (Approx. 12 minutes)

Shorter lifespan of faster-growing trees will add to the climate crisis, study finds

“Live fast, die young is a truism often applied to rock stars but could just as easily describe trees, according to new research. Trees that grow rapidly have a shorter lifespan, which could spell bad news for tackling the climate crisis.”
Source: The Guardian (Approx. 9 minutes)

Plastic pollution in Atlantic at least 10 times worse than thought

“New measurements of the top 200m of the Atlantic found between 12 and 21 million tonnes of microscopic particles of three of the most common types of plastic, in about 5% of the ocean. That would indicate a concentration in the Atlantic of about 200 million tonnes of these common plastics.”
Source: The Guardian (Approx. 7 minutes)

Plastic waste entering oceans expected to triple in 20 years

“All the efforts made and announced so far to cut plastic waste, by governments and companies, will reduce that projected volume by only about 7% by 2040.”
Source: The Guardian (Approx. 9 minutes)

Read the SEAL Awards 2020 Environmental Journalism Award Announcement