Politics

Abortion Pills, Plan B and Mifepristone and what the new US mail ban means

Abortion pills, often confused with Plan B (the morning-after pill), and historically referred to as RU486 (mifepristone), are part of a broader category of reproductive health medications that women have been using for decades. But they are not the same thing.

Hormuz 2026 Conflict Poses an Energy and Food Security Dilemma in a Warming World

As tensions rise in one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, the ripple effects go far beyond oil—touching food systems, climate pressures, and regional stability

Is Britain creating a smoke-free generation by banning sales to those born after 2008?

Today, Britain is attempting something that would have seemed unthinkable way back when.

Why Health Systems Are Reaching a Turning Point

Health emerges from a continuous energy and material flow from water through food to human physiology. Technical energy systems support this cycle through water treatment, agriculture, and infrastructure.

Ethiopians are Looking to Somaliland for Red Sea Access as Global Powers Move In

Somaliland, for its part, has operated as a de facto independent state since 1991. It has its own government, elections, currency, and security forces. It’s often described as one of the more stable and democratic political systems in the region, despite never being formally recognized internationally. 

UNESCO forest being developed in Iran

Environmental activists in Iran often face significant personal risk when speaking out about illegal land grabs, deforestation, or the destruction of protected areas. In recent years, several high-profile environmentalists have been detained, interrogated, or imprisoned on broad national-security charges, sometimes without transparent legal proceedings.

The Pope visits Lebanon and the site of the deadly Beirut blast

“Lebanon, stand up,” he added. “Be a home of justice and fraternity! Be a prophetic sign of peace for the whole of the Levant!”

How the Mediterranean’s most hopeful UN green organizations fail at peace-building

Arab normalization resistance — unchallenged by EU and UN bodies — ensures they remain politically sanitized and technically shallow. The Mediterranean cannot solve climate change, migration pressures, or food insecurity if it continues to sideline the very countries with the expertise to contribute. And the more the UfM, the EU, and UN bodies appease political vetoes, the more they reinforce the exact divisions they were created to heal.

The little known nuclear testing sites used by France in Algeria’s Sahara Desert

More than sixty years after France’s nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara, radiation still lingers in the sand. At Reggane and In Ekker, plutonium traces remain where underground detonations vented into the open air. The sites were never fully decontaminated after France’s withdrawal in 1966. Algeria now monitors them with help from the International Atomic Energy Agency, but vast areas remain off-limits to herders and researchers.

Dubai overfishing: 13 years after Tafline’s warning

In 2012, Green Prophet sounded the alarm about depleted Gulf fish stocks and weak enforcement in Dubai. Revisit Tafline Laylin’s original piece here: Dubai Finally Gets Serious About Overfishing.

Egypt overhauls its irrigation system in anticipation of losing the Nile

Egypt’s irrigation system has roots in millennia-old techniques, from Aswan Dam regulation to historic canal networks. The current program builds on this heritage, blending tradition with pressure-based systems and digital monitoring. Watch developments on the GERD dam opening this year from Ethiopia as water volume from the Nile that goes to Egypt may drop dramatically. 

Water conflicts in the Middle East region to watch in 2025

Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and more frequent droughts amplify existing disputes. Water scarcity can fuel unrest, as seen in Iran’s Khuzestan protests, and can undermine fragile peace deals in post-conflict states like Libya and Yemen.

EPA May Repeal Key Climate Health Ruling — But Scientists Warn of Dire Consequences

The endangerment finding has been the scientific and legal backbone of US climate policy for more than a decade. Without it, the EPA loses its authority to regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act.

Was Greta Thunberg “kidnapped” by the IDF?

"Greta Thunberg is currently on her way to Israel, safe and in good spirits," says Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in early hours of the morning.

How EcoPeace Uses Environmental Education to Bridge Borders in the Jordan Valley

In a region long marked by political divides, armed conflict, and environmental degradation, EcoPeace Middle East is quietly advancing the power of peacebuilding. Peace through education. Through its cross-border teacher tours in the Jordan Valley, EcoPeace is bringing together educators from Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian territories to address critical environmental issues.

Hot this week

Weston Higginbotham’s Family Declines to Release Cause of Death in Kyoto Forest

The family of Weston Higginbotham,an Auburn University student whose disappearance and death in the mountains near Kyoto, Japan, drew international attention, has declined to publicly release the cause of his death.

Bricks and Minifigs, and the Future of Circular Play

A second-hand LEGO marketplace keeps plastic bricks circulating for years instead of ending up forgotten in basements or discarded in landfills. It gives children access to building materials at lower prices. It extends the lifespan of a product that was originally designed to last generations.

HelloFresh’s pride prepping ad raises a bigger question: we are we still outsourcing dinner?

The backlash against HelloFresh's Pride Month marketing campaign has sparked a wider conversation about food, labor, sustainability, and whether consumers should reconnect with local farmers, butchers, and home gardens instead of relying on subscription meal kits.

Regenerative Wool or Greenwashing? Zentera Responds to Critics

Zentera responds to questions about ZQ wool, animal welfare, regenerative farming, ethical fashion and the fallout from PETA's New Zealand investigation.

The Ocean’s Hidden ‘Dark Web’ Is Being Fished Before Scientists Understand It

Deep below the ocean's surface, in a dimly lit region known as the twilight zone, millions of fish are being caught every year. Scientists say the consequences are largely unknown.

Topics

Weston Higginbotham’s Family Declines to Release Cause of Death in Kyoto Forest

The family of Weston Higginbotham,an Auburn University student whose disappearance and death in the mountains near Kyoto, Japan, drew international attention, has declined to publicly release the cause of his death.

Bricks and Minifigs, and the Future of Circular Play

A second-hand LEGO marketplace keeps plastic bricks circulating for years instead of ending up forgotten in basements or discarded in landfills. It gives children access to building materials at lower prices. It extends the lifespan of a product that was originally designed to last generations.

HelloFresh’s pride prepping ad raises a bigger question: we are we still outsourcing dinner?

The backlash against HelloFresh's Pride Month marketing campaign has sparked a wider conversation about food, labor, sustainability, and whether consumers should reconnect with local farmers, butchers, and home gardens instead of relying on subscription meal kits.

Regenerative Wool or Greenwashing? Zentera Responds to Critics

Zentera responds to questions about ZQ wool, animal welfare, regenerative farming, ethical fashion and the fallout from PETA's New Zealand investigation.

The Ocean’s Hidden ‘Dark Web’ Is Being Fished Before Scientists Understand It

Deep below the ocean's surface, in a dimly lit region known as the twilight zone, millions of fish are being caught every year. Scientists say the consequences are largely unknown.

Barnacle glue could fix coral reefs, inspire new advances in building and medicine

Aalto University researchers create a protein-based adhesive inspired by barnacles and mussels that works underwater and could aid coral reef restoration.

Jaakko Torvinen finds that the next green building revolution is misfit trees

Crooked, forked and curved trees are often treated as second-class timber. They are considered less valuable, and not suitable for load bearing walls or support systems in building. If a tree trunk is not straight enough to become a saw log, it is frequently diverted into pulp production or burned for energy. Now, new research from Aalto University could help change that.

Black fathers live longer than non-fathers, new study

Researchers found that fatherhood was associated with lower rates of early death among Black men, while early fatherhood was linked to poorer long-term health outcomes.
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