SpotitEarly and Snoopy helps labs detect small lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers
They say dogs are a man’s best friend and now a new startup is hoping dogs will help sniff out cancer at early stages when it’s treatable. SpotitEarlyhas created a unique, patented method capable of detecting four types of cancer—lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal—which together represent approximately 50% of all new cancer cases.
In the future, the company intends to expand its capabilities to include additional types of cancer. To date, over $8 million has been invested in the company, including funds from the Menomadin Foundation and Hanko Ventures.
The technology of using dogs to sniff out cancer which we reported on in 2013 is being tested out in a hospital and combines advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology with the highly developed olfactory capabilities of specially trained dogs, achieving remarkable accuracy.
The test demonstrated high early-stage sensitivity across all tested cancer types:
Breast cancer: 94%
Lung cancer: 97%
Prostate cancer: 97%
Colorectal cancer: 86%
The test has also shown efficacy in identifying other cancers as well.
Spotitearly
How it works: Patients breathe into a specially designed face mask for three minutes. The mask is then sent to the company’s laboratory, where trained beagles “analyze” the sample under the supervision of an AI system. Each sample undergoes 3 to 5 examinations to ensure high accuracy.
To date, more than 1,400 participants—primarily aged 40 to 70—have taken the test, which has demonstrated an impressive accuracy rate of 94%.
Human breath contains over 1,000 Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs. Science has shown that VOCs represent rich sources of biomarkers associated with metabolic processes and diseases in the body, each identified by a significant odor signature, including cancer. SpotitEarly harnesses the science of scent to detect cancerous VOCs in exhaled breath samples.
Movement doesn’t always mean going to the gym or following a strict workout plan. Many Canadians are looking for ways to stay active that feel natural and easy to maintain. And the good news is, that’s entirely possible. Daily activity can happen while you go about your regular schedule. From walking to the store to stretching in the kitchen, movement can be woven into your life without needing to set aside extra time.
This article focuses on how to enjoy movement in ways that are manageable and uplifting. We’ll explore how everyday tasks, routines, and hobbies can offer opportunities to stay active. The goal is to help you see activity as part of life—not something separate from it.
Start Your Day with Gentle Activity
The way you begin your day can shape how the rest of it feels. Adding light movement in the morning—like stretching, a short walk, or a few minutes of deep breathing—can help your body ease into its natural rhythm.
This quiet part of the day is also a good time to think about how you’re fuelling yourself. Many people choose to support their daily routines with both a balanced breakfast and mindful wellness habits. For some, that includes health-friendly supplements that offer nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to play a role in supporting overall well-being when part of a nutritious diet.
Brands like USANA Health Sciences offer options that include ingredients to complement healthy living. These supplements are not a replacement for real food but can work alongside thoughtful eating choices to help maintain nutritional balance—especially on days when meals might not cover everything.
Together, movement and mindful nourishment can help you feel steady and focused as the day begins.
Turn Short Breaks into Movement Opportunities
Whether you’re at home or at work, breaks are a natural part of the day. You might use that time to check your phone or grab a snack. But you can also use it for light movement.
Standing up, walking around your space, or doing simple stretches are great ways to keep your body active. These quick activities can refresh your mind too. You don’t need to follow a plan—just listen to your body and move in a way that feels good. Making use of small pockets of time adds up and supports consistent movement throughout the day.
Let Chores Count Toward Activity
Many people overlook how much activity happens during regular household tasks. Vacuuming, sweeping, gardening, and even tidying up are all forms of movement. If you’re doing them regularly, you’re already staying active more than you might think.
These activities can be done mindfully to make the most of them. Try focusing on your posture or turning on music to make them more enjoyable. When you view chores as part of your movement routine, it takes away the need to find time elsewhere in your day.
Be Social While Staying Active
Movement can be more fun when it’s shared. Spending time with friends or family doesn’t have to mean sitting still. Going for a walk in the neighbourhood, exploring a local trail, or joining a casual dance or fitness class are all great ways to stay connected and active at the same time.
These shared moments support both social and physical well-being. There’s no need to focus on performance—just enjoy moving together. Making activity part of your social time makes it easier to include in your lifestyle without extra planning.
Create Space at Home for Simple Movement
You don’t need a gym to move your body. A small corner of your home can work well for light activity. Whether it’s a space for stretching, yoga, or light home workouts, having a dedicated area makes movement easier to return to each day.
You can keep a mat rolled up in the living room or use a quiet bedroom for a few daily minutes of gentle activity. Keep it simple—just enough room to move freely without interruption. This helps build a habit without feeling like you need to do something extra or out of your routine.
Try Seasonal Outdoor Activities Across Canada
Snowshoeing in Canada
In Canada, each season brings something new to try. You can hike in the fall, snowshoe in the winter, bike in the spring, and paddle in the summer. These outdoor activities offer a chance to enjoy nature while staying active.
You don’t need to commit to large outings. Even short neighbourhood walks, visits to local parks, or time in the backyard can provide movement. Many cities have seasonal programs and trails that are open to the public, making it easy to find something that fits your interests.
Celebrate Every Small Win You Notice
It’s easy to overlook the value of small progress. But choosing to walk instead of driving, standing more often, or adding a five-minute stretch at the end of your day all make a difference. These changes don’t need to be big to be meaningful.
Taking time to recognize your efforts can help you stay motivated. You might jot down what you did at the end of the day or share your movement moments with a friend. When you celebrate these steps, you build a stronger connection to your goals and enjoy the process more.
Movement doesn’t have to be intense, structured, or time-consuming. It can be as simple as how you walk, sit, or stretch throughout the day. Canadians can find plenty of ways to stay active that match their lifestyle, interests, and environment.
By rethinking how movement fits into your life, it becomes easier to maintain. You don’t need a detailed fitness plan to benefit from regular activity. With a few mindful choices and a positive approach, movement can be a part of how you live—not something extra you have to do.
Enjoying movement in your daily life is not about achieving something specific. It’s about staying connected to your body and finding ways to stay active that feel right for you.
Escooters can also be great for seniors or anyone with mobility concerns
As we continue our global efforts to combat climate change, industries across the world are reevaluating their environmental footprints. The mobility scooter industry is no exception. This industry is undergoing a transformative shift towards sustainability, embracing innovations and practices that promise a greater, greener future.
Electrification
Mobility scooters are electric and produce no tailpipe emissions. Moreover, recent advancements are enhancing their eco-friendliness further. The transition from traditional lead-acid batteries to lithium-ion variants offers numerous benefits, such as improved energy efficiency, longer lifespans, and reduced waste. These batteries not only extend the range of scooters but also decrease the need for replacements, thereby minimising environmental impact.
Sustainable Manufacturing
Manufacturers are also prioritising sustainable materials and processes. The incorporation of recyclable plastics and metals reduces the demand for virgin resources. Many companies are integrating recycled materials into their e-scooters, meaning significant reductions in carbon emissions during production. In addition, energy-efficient manufacturing techniques, such as lean production and the use of renewable energy sources, are becoming standard practices, further reducing the industry’s carbon footprint.
Lifecycle Considerations
The industry extends beyond manufacturing, with the adoption of a holistic approach to the product lifecycle. This includes initiatives for battery recycling and the refurbishment of used scooters. These efforts not only conserve resources but also reduce the environmental impact associated with producing new units.
Renewable Energy Integration
Innovations are also emerging in the realm of energy sourcing. Some mobility scooters are now equipped with solar charging capabilities, allowing users to tap into renewable energy for themselves. Additionally, partnerships between manufacturers and green energy providers are facilitating the development of eco-friendly charging infrastructures, meaning that the electricity powering these scooters is as clean as can be.
Policy and Consumer Influence
Government policies and consumer preferences are key in steering the industry towards sustainability. In the UK, governmental incentives support the development and adoption of low-emission technologies, which benefits the mobility scooter industry. At the same time, a growing consumer demand for environmentally responsible products is compelling manufacturers to innovate and prioritise carbon reduction.
Urban Integration
The integration of mobility scooters into urban planning is essential for maximising their environmental benefits. Investments in infrastructure, such as dedicated lanes and charging stations, not only promote the use of electric mobility solutions but also contribute to the reduction of urban carbon emissions. These developments align with broader smart city initiatives aimed at creating sustainable and accessible urban environments.
The mobility scooter industry is making significant strides towards sustainability, driven by technological advancements, responsible manufacturing, and supportive policies. By embracing a comprehensive approach that considers the entire product lifecycle, the industry is not only meeting the mobility needs of its users but also contributing to global environmental goals.
Browse the mobility scooters range from Wheel Freedom today.
This is more than a disagreement between two experts. It is a flashpoint in a global conversation about how we transition to a clean energy future—whether through sweeping centralized infrastructures or distributed, ecological innovations.
Varsavsky is a Spanish-Argentine entrepreneur known for founding several successful technology and infrastructure ventures, including in the renewable energy sector. He co-founded Eolia Renovables, a large-scale wind and solar power company in Spain, which was sold for €1.1 billion. After Eolia, he went on to co-found Barter Energy, which focused on solar energy communities and rooftop solar installations. Barter Energy was also successfully exited, with the sale announced in May 2025.
From the heights of Spain’s energy revolution, Varsavsky watched solar and wind power go from vision to reality—only to become, in his view, a cautionary tale. In his May 9th post on X, Varsavsky (after cashing out billions, no less) criticized the high environmental cost of large-scale renewables: olive groves uprooted, landscapes marred, ecosystems disrupted. He condemned the dependence on government subsidies, the inefficiency of intermittent sources, and the fragility of Europe’s energy grid.
To Varsavsky, rooftop solar paired with battery storage is the only renewable worth keeping. His newfound allegiance? New nuclear—compact, clean, and capable of delivering baseload power without scarring the Earth. Environmentalists know that nuclear is a dangerous path forward because the local and environmental risks are too great. The Fukushima disaster in Japan was only just in 2011!
He also blasts what he calls “climate alarmism”, suggesting that exaggerated doomsday predictions of the early 2000s justified energy policies that have “impoverished” Europeans while failing to significantly reduce emissions. Germany’s green push, he argues, has become an industrial suicide note. The same alarmism also caused suicide.
David Anthony, founder of 21Ventures, was a pioneering American investor in Israeli solar energy startups during the late 2000s, partnering with groups like the Quercus Trust to fund early-stage cleantech. He played a key role in shaping Israel’s solar innovation scene but tragically died by suicide in 2012 after what was reported as personal family trauma. His death came at a time when optimism around solar peaked—before global investment slowed and many early-stage companies struggled to scale amid policy uncertainty and falling technology costs. We interviewed David on Green Prophet and he gave us some great tips on how to find innovation to invest in before the rest step in.
But at Ivanpah, Moshe Luz sees a different story unfolding than Varsavsky.
Where Varsavsky sees environmental destruction, Luz points to carefully managed desert ecosystems, job creation in rural areas, and the profound symbolism of powering millions of homes with focused beams of sunlight. He emphasizes hybrid systems, storage innovation, and smarter grid planning—not abandoning renewables, but evolving them. And government roles in supporting this evolution is important.
Varsavsky’s critique of large-scale renewables as land-hungry and subsidy-dependent is not new. Nor is his appeal to nuclear energy as a clean, scalable alternative. What’s striking is that someone who once built these systems is now disavowing them, adding weight to long-standing criticisms from environmentalists concerned about industrial-scale “green” projects that harm more than they help.
But to lump Ivanpah, or the global community solar movement, into the same basket as Spain’s bulldozed olive groves misses nuance. Ivanpah did not destroy forests. It sits in the Mojave, a place Luz argues is uniquely suited for solar concentration. Its storage and dispatch capabilities, evolving since launch, challenge the very “intermittency” Varsavsky condemns.
And while new nuclear has promise, it remains years away from scale, with unresolved issues around waste, cost, and political will. Even the smallest modular reactors are deeply controversial and the human and environmental cost can be catastrophic when systems fail.
Rather than pit nuclear against solar, or rooftop against grid-scale, what if we designed an energy ecosystem with layers?
Large-scale renewables, thoughtfully deployed, can replace coal and gas at scale.
Next-generation nuclear, if and when it arrives, can fill in the baseload gaps.
The real danger isn’t solar or nuclear—it’s polarization, where each camp is so convinced of its own truth that collaboration becomes impossible.
Varsavsky ends his piece by urging a shift from fear-based policymaking to pragmatic energy design. It’s a sentiment Luz would likely echo. But where Varsavsky sees solar as the problem, Luz sees it as part of the solution. Both are right. Both are wrong. The future will likely need the sun, the atom, the battery, and the commonsense human decision-making.
Eco-chic cover of “Think. Eat. Cook. Sustainably.” by Rachel Khanna — the ultimate guide to intuitive, seasonal, and sustainable cooking. Her philosophy carries through to cooking shows like With Love, Meaghan
It’s like finding a map back to your grandmother’s pantry, but with the tools of a climate-conscious chef.
Written with a deep reverence for local ingredients and a mindful kitchen, the book Think Eat Cook Sustainably teaches readers how to cook from intuition, not instruction. The philosophy behind the book is the method that surely grandmother’s knew once: and can now be passed in eco-conscious circles and permaculture kitchens. And it may be influenced from the authors experiences growing up in France. Everyone there knows that a soup stock needs celery, carrot and an onion.
Rachel Khanna
The book by Rachel Khanna offers formulas—not rigid recipes—so that you can cook anything, from anywhere, with whatever the Earth gives you.
Are you drowning in recipes, influencer chefs videos, and master chefs showing you hot to cook with ingredients that are hard to find, or too expensive –– or simply not local to you? Do you find you get confused and can’t keep up with the latest Ottolenghis recipe?
Rachel Khanna offers something far more liberating: a formula for freedom in your kitchen. Her book Think Eat Cook Sustainably is not about following recipes to the letter. It’s about understanding the language of cooking—so you can improvise with what you have, honor what’s local, and reduce waste, all while creating deeply nourishing meals. She is a mother of four girls so no doubt earned her chops as a cook and it follows from her second book, Live Eat Cook Healthy. She understood the message of eating more vegetables and buying organic food was not enough to help people feed themselves more sustainably. She went for a “macro philosophy” in this book.
We were sent this book in 2020 and lost in the COVID madness, we just opened it recently and to our surprise, it’s a book that gives cooking tips along with a tour around the world to some of the most loved foods, which include meat, yes meat, and poke bowls and falafel and fish. It shows you in a handy guide on how you can choose a protein or a base for a recipe you want to cook and additional food items and seasonings to make a first class dish. It’s a guide on how to cook everywhere and anywhere, no matter what the pantry offers.
We have so many friends who have become global nomads and are now with kids living in rental homes in Thailand, in cheaper European countries like Portugal. This kind of book can also help you adapt to the palettes of children, working with local ingredients that may be unfamiliar at first.
Build a grain bowl with this formula
Khanna, a former corporate strategist turned public servant and wellness advocate, writes with the clarity of someone who has lived many lives—and decided to root herself in the soil of sustainability.
With degrees from Columbia and a background in public policy and nutrition, she’s as comfortable discussing the US Farm Bill as she is fermenting vegetables in a glass jar. She served as a Connecticut state representative, advocating for food system reform, and brings this practical, community-grounded insight to her food philosophy.
Khanna worked for Morgan Stanley and Euromonitor International before entering politics. In 2007, Khanna started an organic meal delivery service Tiffin based in Banksville and serving Greenwich and Stamford and has now published two cookbooks.
With Love, Meaghan, a Netflix series featuring Meaghan Sussex.
Whether Rachel Khanna originated this movement of common-sense food philosophy or simply tapped into its rising current, I’m not expert enough in the culinary world to say. What I do know is this: in a time when food media often glorifies complexity, I found something refreshing in her approach.
I was especially taken by a recent and charming episode of With Love, Meaghan on Netflix, where a member of the royal family Meaghan Markle Sussex takes us into her life in California where she chooses to live with intention and simplicity—teaching others to do the same through the lens of food. The idea of returning to basic, adaptable formulas in the kitchen isn’t just empowering; it’s practical.
It nurtures community, teaches resilience to kids, and gently reminds us that sustainable living often starts right where we are—with what we already have. She also shows us, at least on camera, that preparing food and experiences for your children can be deeply satisfying as a parent and as a woman. The world needs more of that.
The Environmental Peacebuilding Association gave its recent award –– the 2025 Al-Moumin Award and Distinguished Lecture on Environmental Peacebuilding –– to EcoPeace leaders Nada Majdalani, Yana Abu Taleb, Gidon Bromberg, and Tareq Abu Hamed. The award honors their work in addressing complex environmental challenges through trust-building, dialogue, cooperation, and joint action among communities in Palestine, Jordan, and Israel.
The Al-Moumin Award and Lecture are named after Dr. Mishkat Al-Moumin, Iraq’s first Minister of Environment, a human rights and environmental lawyer, and an advocate for women’s rights. The award recognizes leading thinkers who are shaping the field of environmental peacebuilding.
For decades, the honorees have made remarkable contributions to environmental peacebuilding through their visionary leadership and groundbreaking initiatives. They have demonstrated exceptional commitment to fostering regional cooperation on issues critical to the region in the face of environmental and political challenges, including water security, renewable energy production, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience.
At EcoPeace, Nada, Yana, and Gidon’s efforts have advanced environmental diplomacy; built bridges between communities in Palestine, Israel, and Jordan; and achieved sustainable cross-border solutions that ensure a better future for the inhabitants of all three countries.
This work, including the Good Water Neighbors program, the Green Blue Deal, Project Prosperity, and their advocacy for improved water and energy security across the region, are complemented by on-the-ground projects that bring these principles into practical local action. All are often rightly cited as prototypical examples of environmental peacebuilding.
EcoPeace’s continued operation during the Hamas-Israel war as the only Palestinian-Israeli-Jordanian organization in any field was thanks to the tireless efforts of the directors
who ensured that EcoPeace’s staff, participants, and constituents stayed focused on the overriding need to maintain cross-border environmental cooperation and a vision for a shared future. Throughout the war, EcoPeace has secured funding and mobilized resources to address urgent water and sanitation needs, with the three directors demonstrating their commitment to environmental resilience, cross-border cooperation, and humanitarian aid, ensuring that human life, health, and environmental wellbeing are seen as interlocked priorities in this region.
Similarly, Tareq has spent a lifetime working to build trust and foster cooperation between neighbors, using science to build relationships across the Middle East, particularly between Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians to ensure that they can work together to address mutual environmental concerns. He established Arava Institute’s Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation upon joining the Institute in 2008. He is a member of President Isaac Herzog’s Forum on Climate Change, and as part of this role, Tareq co-chairs the Regional Cooperation and Security Task Force, which promotes regional and international collaboration on climate change. He has also led the Transboundary Renewable Energy Working Group, bringing together experts from Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, and Jordan to work on socially impactful renewable technology projects.
While Tareq has been a leader in the Arava Institute’s growth over the past 17 years, he left briefly to join Israel’s Ministry of Science, becoming the deputy chief scientist, becoming the highest-ranking Palestinian working in the Israeli government, before being named acting Chief Scientist of Israel’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Space in 2015 and 2016.
Working through the complexities of real estate is challenging. This area has undergone a revolution with the advent of Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping. GIS mapping technology provides a dynamic perspective on interpreting and analyzing data associated with geographic locations. In this article, we will discuss GIS mapping and its transformative effect on real estate.
Understanding GIS Mapping
Before discussing further, let’s first understand “What is GIS mapping?” Geographic aspects of GIS mapping use hardware, software, and data to capture, store, manage, analyze, and display geographically referenced information. GIS gives insight into spatial relationships and patterns by layering data on top of each other. This technology is essential for industries dependent on geospatial data. This digitization has enhanced the power of the GIS to manage large volumes of data. This allows not only for the discovery of hidden scientific facts and their retrieval but also the presentation of results in an easy-to-read format. People can navigate through maps, graphs, and charts to learn more about a place. Additionally, GIS enables a deeper level of analysis and visualization, which drives better decisions.
Uses In Real Estate
Real estate professionals use GIS mapping to improve many aspects of their jobs. GIS provides useful analysis and decision-making tools throughout the entire real estate lifecycle, from site selection to property management.
1. Preliminary Assessment and Selection of Sites
Choosing a location is king in real estate. GIS mapping is used to find ideal sites based on demographics, proximity to amenities, infrastructure, etc. This type of technology enables professionals to superimpose multiple datasets to get a complete picture of where a location may be ideal.
2. Market Analysis and Trends
Market trends are an important aspect of every real estate venture. With GIS mapping, users can see market information for property values, sales trends, and rental rates. This helps identify emerging or fast-growing markets and make space for strategic decisions based on spatial patterns.
3. Landholding and Strategic Planning
Good property management relies on well-organized data. GIS mapping provides the tools necessary to track property, monitor maintenance activity, and determine the impacts of new developments. This technology aids in long-range planning through knowledge of land use, zoning, and ecological aspects.
4. 3D Virtual Tours and Interactive Maps
Virtual tours and interactive maps make customers feel involved. Potential buyers can see neighborhoods and amenities by visualizing properties and their surroundings. This leads to data-driven decision-making and better customer satisfaction.
5. Personalised Property Searches
GIS mapping in the forest
With GIS mapping, clients can filter properties according to certain criteria. It allows users to filter properties by location, price range and features for a personalized search experience. This feature helps streamline searching and improve productivity.
6. Environmental Impact Assessments
GIS mapping offers all analytical tools to assess the environmental impacts of development on natural and ecological resources. It informs analysis that contributes to sustainable practice and helps avoid potential harm.
7. Community Consultation and Design
Participatory planning is an essential element of sustainable development. Many community members find it difficult to visualize a proposed project within their context and even harder to express an opinion without having seen it. You can bridge the gap by developing a GIS image and facilitating feedback gathering. This approach to participatory assessment encourages collaboration and transparency.
Challenges And Future Outlook
Aside from its benefits, GIS mapping faces challenges such as data quality and consistency. The key to a comprehensive analysis and sound decision-making is ensuring that a data source is valid. Moreover, the convergence of GIS with new technologies like artificial intelligence opens an area of innovation. Real estate industry and future of GIS mapping Solutions With the advancement of technology, GIS will continue to innovate and provide a more complex and advanced tool for analysis and visualization. Innovation in areas like 3D mapping and real-time data integration is set to change everything.
Conclusion
The emergence of GIS mapping has changed how real estate agents approach the changing landscape. This technology has numerous applications that require less efficiency and enhanced effectiveness, from site selection to customer engagement. Though challenges lie ahead, the prospect of GIS mapping in the future presents many exciting advancements and new opportunities within the real estate sector. We are likely just beginning to understand how this technology will impact the real estate industry. Future developments could open many new solutions and sustainable practices.
At the 2025 Time Space Existence exhibition in Venice at the Biennale, architectural firm MVRDV has unveiled a groundbreaking solar-responsive installation: the SOMBRA Pavilion. Designed in collaboration with Metadecor, Airshade, and Alumet, among others, the project is located in the lush setting of the European Cultural Centre’s Giardini Marinaressa.
SOMBRA, a name fusing the Latin words for sun (sol) and shade (umbra), is more than a temporary pavilion—it’s a living laboratory. Shaped like a heliodon, the structure mimics how the sun moves through the sky, providing an intuitive experience of solar patterns.
It operates without motors, electronics, or external energy. Instead, it breathes, opens, and closes using only passive physical principles. A similar shade system was developed by Dutch engineers in the Gulf region — see the startup Airshade. And this group has partnered on the Venice exhibit.
Measuring just 30 square meters, SOMBRA is a compact marvel of climate-sensitive architecture. The pavilion’s six metal ribs, angled to correspond with the solar angles of the summer and winter solstices, support triangular shading panels made of perforated MD Formatura screens by Metadecor.
These panels respond autonomously to sunlight: opening when skies are overcast to maximize views, and closing during intense sunlight to offer shade.
The core innovation lies in the Airshade system. The pavilion hides small air canisters within its ribbed frame. When sunlight heats a canister, air pressure increases, inflating a miniature airbag. Inspired by soft robotics, the airbag acts like a muscle, countering the spring hinge to close the shading panel. As clouds pass and temperatures drop, the air deflates and the panel reopens.
This poetic movement mimics a living organism, giving the pavilion an animated presence as it reacts to its environment—without consuming any operational energy.
As MVRDV partner Bertrand Schippan explains: “With the climate crisis accelerating, it’s clear that we need new architecture that is more in tune with the environment. SOMBRA is a demonstration of one approach among many to this philosophy: an architecture that senses its environment and reacts to it in much the same way that plants do.”
SOMBRA’s narrative is layered in symbolism. Its circular floor plate is engraved with the polar sun path chart used to guide its geometry. Underneath the ribs, over 200 translations of the words “sun and shade” remind visitors that the sun connects all of humanity—a shared experience cutting across cultures, geographies, and languages.
Thousands of hectares of Chornobyl-affected farmland, long deemed too dangerous for cultivation in northern Ukraine can safely return to production, according to new research.
The study, led by the University of Portsmouth and the Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology, developed a method for the safe reassessment of farmland abandoned after the 1986 nuclear accident.
Published in the Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, the research opens the door to potentially reclaiming large areas land for agricultural use – land that has remained officially off-limits for over three decades due to radioactive contamination.
Since the Chornobyl disaster, large regions of northern Ukraine were designated as too hazardous for farming. The 4200 square kilometre “Chornobyl Exclusion Zone” around the nuclear site remains uninhabited and is now one of Europe’s largest nature reserves.
A second 2000 square km area – the “Zone of Obligatory Resettlement” – was never fully abandoned. The area is home to thousands of people, has schools and shops but no official investment or use of land is allowed.
Since the 1990’s scientists in Ukraine and overseas have been saying that the land can be safely used again despite contamination by radiocaesium and radiostrontium. But political complexities have meant that the land remains officially abandoned. That hasn’t stopped a few farmers taking matters into their own hands and beginning unofficial production in some areas. The new study has confirmed that the farmers were right – crops can be grown safely in most areas.
Using a 100-hectare test site in the Zhytomyr region, the researchers developed a simple yet robust protocol to evaluate contamination levels and predict the uptake of radioactive substances by common crops such as potatoes, cereals, maize, and sunflowers.
By analysing soil samples and measuring external gamma radiation, the researchers confirmed that the effective radiation dose to agricultural workers is well below Ukraine’s national safety threshold, and significantly lower than background radiation levels experienced naturally all over the world.
The findings show that, with proper monitoring and adherence to Ukrainian food safety regulations, many crops can be safely grown in these previously restricted zones.
Jim Smith, radiation researcher
Professor Jim Smith from the University of Portsmouth was lead author of the study. He said: “This research is important for communities affected by the Chornobyl disaster. Since 1986 there has been a lot of misinformation about radiation risks from Chornobyl which has negatively impacted on people still living in abandoned areas. We now have a validated, science-based approach for bringing valuable farmland back into official production while demonstrating safety for both consumers and workers.”
The team hopes this protocol can serve as a model for other regions worldwide dealing with long-term radioactive contamination. With careful implementation and community involvement, the researchers believe Ukraine could safely reclaim up to 20,000 hectares of agricultural land, contributing to food security and rural development.
“This isn’t just about Chornobyl”, said Professor Smith. “It’s about applying science and evidence to ensure people are protected, while making sure land isn’t needlessly left to waste.”
Those who climb indoors are doing something for their health. But climbing shoes contain chemicals of concern that can enter the lungs of climbers through the abrasion of the soles. In a recent study, researchers from the University of Vienna and EPFL Lausanne have shown for the first time that high concentrations of potentially harmful chemicals from climbing shoe soles can be found in the air of bouldering gyms, in some cases higher than on a busy street. The results have been published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Air.
A climbing hall is filled with a variety of smells: sweat, chalk dust – and a hint of rubber. A research group led by environmental scientist Thilo Hofmann at the University of Vienna has now discovered that rubber abrasion from climbing shoes can enter the lungs of athletes. The shoes contain rubber compounds similar to those used in car tires – including additives suspected of being harmful to humans and the environment.
She finds that climbing shoes can make you sick
“The soles of climbing shoes are high performance products, just like car tires”, explains Anya Sherman, first author of the study and an environmental scientist at the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (CeMESS) at the University of Vienna. Additives are specific chemicals that make these materials more resilient and durable; they are essential for their function.
Sherman enjoys climbing herself – as a balance to her work in the lab and on the computer. At a conference, she met Thibault Masset from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), who researches similar topics and also enjoys climbing. The two researchers and equal first authors of the study came up with the idea of testing the rubber from their own climbing shoes using the same scientific methods they use to analyze car tires. “We were familiar with the black residue on the holds in climbing gyms, the abrasion from the soles of our shoes. Climbers wipe it off to get a better grip, and it gets kicked up into the air”, adds Sherman.
Anya Sherman
Equipped with an impinger, a particle-measuring device that mimics the human respiratory tract, Sherman, in collaboration with Professor Lea Ann Daily’s research group, collected air samples in five bouldering gyms in Vienna. The impinger draws in air at a rate of 60 liters per minute and separates particles in the same way as they would enter the human lungs. Other dust samples for the study were collected in collaboration with the EPFL Lausanne from bouldering gyms in France, Spain and Switzerland.
“Air pollution in the bouldering gyms was higher than we expected”, says corresponding author Thilo Hofmann. What was striking was that the concentration of rubber additives was particularly high where many people were climbing in a confined space. Hofmann concludes: “The levels we measured are among the highest ever documented worldwide, comparable to multi-lane roads in megacities.”
In 30 pairs of shoes tested, the team found some of the same pollutants as in car tires: among the 15 rubber additives found was 6PPD, a rubber stabilizer whose transformation product has been linked to salmon kills in rivers.
What this means for human health is still unclear. But Hofmann stresses: “These substances do not belong in the air we breathe. It makes sense to act before we know all the details about the risks, especially with regard to sensitive groups such as children.”
Sherman also points out that the operators of the studied bouldering gyms were very cooperative and showed a high level of interest in improving the air quality in their gyms. “This constructive cooperation should lead to the creation of the healthiest possible climbing hall environment, for example through better ventilation, cleaning, avoiding peak times and designing climbing shoes with fewer additives.”
“It is essential to switch to sole materials with fewer harmful substances,” says Hofmann. He says manufacturers are currently not sufficiently aware of the problem. The rubber they buy for their soles contains a cocktail of undesirable chemicals. More research is needed to understand how these substances affect the human body. Anya Sherman remains motivated: “I will continue to climb, and I am confident that our research will contribute to better conditions in climbing gyms.”
Thilo Hofmann is Professor of Environmental Geosciences at the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science and co-director of the Environment and Climate Research Hub at the University of Vienna. This network brings together researchers from a wide range of disciplines to produce excellent scientific knowledge that can provide solutions to pressing problems such as climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution.
Your tuna is contributing to more than 80% of the plastic waste clogging up the Seychelles Islands
Marine plastic pollution is a global crisis, with 9 to 14 million metric tons of plastic entering the ocean every year. Tiny fragments called microplastics – ranging from 1 micron to 5 millimeters – make up the vast majority of plastic pieces found and pose serious risks to ocean health.
Most research has focused on surface waters, usually sampling just the top 15 to 50 centimeters using net tows. However, microplastics come in many forms with different properties, influencing how they move and interact with their surroundings.
A researcher from Florida Atlantic University is among an international team of scientists who has moved beyond just “scratching the surface,” marking a turning point in our understanding of how microplastics move through and impact the global ocean.
This research marks a critical shift in how we understand plastic pollution. It shows that microplastics are not just a surface nuisance—they are altering the inner workings of ocean systems that regulate climate, support biodiversity, and absorb carbon. Their presence at depth could disrupt marine food webs, carbon sequestration, and global climate balance, with far-reaching implications for environmental health and human well-being.
For the first time, scientists have mapped microplastic distribution from the surface to the deep sea at a global scale – revealing not only where plastics accumulate, but how they infiltrate critical ocean systems. For the study, researchers synthesized depth-profile data from 1,885 stations collected between 2014 and 2024 to map microplastic distribution patterns by size and polymer type, while also evaluating potential transport mechanisms.
Results, published in Nature, reveal that microplastics are not just surface pollutants – they’re deeply embedded in the ocean’s structure. Ranging from a few to thousands of particles per cubic meter, their size determines how they move: smaller microplastics (1 to 100 micrometers) spread more evenly and penetrate deeper, while larger ones (100 to 5,000 micrometers) concentrate near the surface, especially within the top 100 meters of gyres. Gyres act like massive, slow-moving whirlpools that trap and concentrate floating debris – especially plastic.
Observations of subsurface microplastics in the ocean
Strikingly, microplastics are becoming a measurable part of the ocean’s carbon cycle, making up just 0.1% of carbon particles at 30 meters but rising to 5% at 2,000 meters. This suggests that microplastics are not only persistent pollutants but may also be altering key biogeochemical processes in the deep sea.
“Microplastics are not just floating at the surface – they’re deeply embedded throughout the ocean, from coastal waters to the open sea,” said Tracy Mincer, Ph.D., co-author and an associate professor of biology and biochemistry in FAU’s Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College.
Researchers identified more than 56 types of plastic polymers in their synthesized microplastic dataset. While buoyant plastics dominate overall, denser microplastics are more prevalent offshore – likely because they fragment more readily. Dense polymers become brittle and break down faster, particularly after prolonged exposure to environmental weathering. These small, persistent particles – often originating from fishing gear and containers like polyester bottles – can remain in the ocean for decades.
Polypropylene, commonly found in items like yogurt containers and rope, photodegrades more quickly than polyethylene, which is used in plastic bags and water bottles. This may account for its lower abundance in offshore waters. Nonetheless, significant uncertainties remain in subsurface microplastic data due to inconsistent sampling techniques and limited coverage, highlighting the need for specialized equipment and greater collaboration to improve data reliability.
The ocean’s water column – the largest habitat on Earth – plays a crucial role in global carbon cycling, supporting half of the planet’s primary production and absorbing human-made CO₂. As microplastics move through this vast space, they interact with natural particles and processes, potentially affecting how the ocean functions.
“Our findings suggest microplastics are becoming a measurable part of the ocean’s carbon cycle, with potential consequences for climate regulation and marine food webs,” said Mincer. “This work sets the stage for taking the next steps in understanding the residence time of plastic in the interior of the ocean.”
Tel Aviv sets a national standard for clean, sustainable coastlines
Reaffirming its leadership in sustainable coastal management, all 13 of Tel Aviv-Yafo’s public beaches have once again earned the prestigious Blue Flag certification for 2025. This honor, awarded by the International Blue Flag Committee and the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), recognizes beaches that meet exceptional standards in water quality, safety, accessibility, and environmental education.
Each year, the Blue Flag is reassessed to ensure compliance with strict international criteria. For Tel Aviv-Yafo, retaining Blue Flag status across all its beaches reflects a sustained municipal commitment to clean seas, inclusive spaces, and community stewardship. The concept was brought to Israel through a Swedish environmentalist named Andreas Weil.
In Israel, the program is implemented by EcoOcean, a nonprofit organization of scientists and educators devoted to marine conservation. It is founded by Weil.
This achievement is especially significant in light of recent environmental challenges. The ongoing conflict with Gaza, Lebanon, Iran and Yemen.
As Green Prophet reported at the time, thousands of volunteers joined cleanup efforts, collecting sticky, toxic waste by hand. The city’s rapid response and community-driven action helped restore the beaches and laid the groundwork for more rigorous monitoring and preventive strategies.
A rare Mediterranean Monk Seal resting on a beach in central Israel, May 13, 2023. (Guy Levian/Nature and Parks Authority)
Beyond cleanliness and conservation, the Blue Flag also honors beaches for universal accessibility. Tel Aviv has prioritized infrastructure for people with disabilities, including accessible boardwalks, floating wheelchairs, tactile paving, and lifeguard assistance for people with mobility impairments.
This inclusive approach has made Tel Aviv’s beaches welcoming not just for locals and tourists, but for seniors, families, and people of all abilities.
A major focus of Tel Aviv’s beach management has been the elimination of single-use plastics. In 2019, the city passed a bylaw banning plastic bags, straws, and utensils at public beaches. As Green Prophet covered in our report on the ban, this was a bold move to combat marine litter and microplastic pollution.
Today, educational signage, waste separation bins, and awareness campaigns reinforce the city’s message: protecting the sea is a shared responsibility.
With 13 Blue Flags proudly flying, Tel Aviv-Yafo remains a regional and global leader in sustainable urban coastline management. As sea levels rise and marine ecosystems face increasing pressure, the city’s blend of policy, education, and public engagement offers a blueprint for others to follow.
Tel Aviv is about 30 kilometers away from a rare shark attack that killed a man that happened a couple of weeks ago near Michmoret beach and a desalination plant. A source we spoke with said that locals were feeding dead fish straight into the mouths of the sharks for some time, and that he believes the swimmer got caught in a current leading to panic, splashing and then a frenzied shark attack. Shark attacks are rare in Israel. It is the fourth one in decades.
Turkey ranks third globally in the number of Blue Flag beaches, boasting 567 certified beaches as of 2024. The Antalya province leads with 233 Blue Flag beaches, followed by Muğla with 112 and Izmir with 64.
As of 2024, Lebanon does not have any beaches certified with the Blue Flag. While Lebanon offers beautiful coastal areas like Tyre, Batroun, and Byblos, they have not received this specific international certification.
Syria has no Blue Flag.
Cyprus boasts an impressive number of 76 Blue Flag beaches and 2 marinas as of 2024, making it one of the top countries in Europe for clean, environmentally managed, and well-equipped coastal destinations.
Check a beach before you book a destination. See Blue Flag Global.
Kevin Gepford on Aldabra Island, The Tortoise Project
Portland-based environmental journalist Kevin Gepford, currently researching a book on global tortoise conservation spent two months on Seychelles’ Aldabra Atoll between December and January, living at the island’s remote research station with 16 other people. It’s so isolated out there—about 1,000 miles from Seychelles’ main island Mahé—that it might as well be Mars. He agrees that change will be coming fast.
Aldabra’s nearest island neighbor, Assomption, is becoming a playground for Qatari royalty and affluent Middle Eastern tourists. A Qatar-based investment company called the Assets Group, and a reported $25 million USD land-lease agreement with the Seychelles government, means that developers, against public concerns, have extended the landing strip to accommodate international flights, and about 1,000 construction workers are on the island currently laying out plots for 40 high-end villas—touted as a luxury resort. Most suspect they will become private villas.
Tortoise on Aldabra, Kevin Gepford – The Tortoise Project
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Aldabra is one of the most ecologically pristine places left on Earth—home to more than 100,000 giant tortoises and the last surviving species of flightless rail in the Indian Ocean. It is managed by the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) and is considered an outpost of evolution. Gepford says what he witnessed there shows how fragile that isolation has become.
Adabra Atoll and Assomption Island are about 20 miles from each other. Image via Google Earth
“I went there to understand how tortoises live—talk with experts about their ecology, and really understand what pressures they and the atoll are facing.”
He observed these pressures in real time:
“I went along with the island staff on a trip around the atoll for an inspection—a part of the day—and unexpectedly came across a catamaran at the edge of the reef,” despite prohibitions on coming close.
Tortoises and breakfast on Aldabra Island, The Tortoise Project
Maritime maps say not to approach within a 40 km radius around the atoll or Assomption Island, says turtle expert Dr. Yaniv Levi who lived and worked as a divemaster on Aldabra for more than two years in the late 1990s. Skippers know that these islands are protected, he tells Green Prophet.
“It was a really nice yacht,” says Gepford.
The skipper of the boat hailed the vessel. “We shouted to talk to us on their hand-held radio on a certain channel—and asked, ‘What are you doing here?’
“We expected them to blame either the weather or engine trouble,” says Gepford,
“They said, ‘We just got blown off course because of the cyclone and thought we’d come by for a look. We’re sailing to Mahé.’”
Gepford said it was clear the crew knew they had crossed a line, and SIF’s skipper warned them to be prepared for a biosecurity inspection when they reached Mahé.
“We took pictures of the yacht and reported it back to the authorities in the Seychelles—to be aware,” Gepford said.
The concern isn’t symbolic. Aldabra’s team enforces one of the most rigorous biosecurity protocols in the Indian Ocean.
“They picked out seeds from my shoes with tweezers, and made me wash the blades of my handheld fan. Look through everything—and look at it twice,” said Gepford. “It’s invasive species, seeds, pathogens—anything that could damage the ecosystem.”
The chartered yacht, he later learned, had come from Zanzibar. Its passengers appeared to be South African or European tourists. As for the charter companies: “That’s their business—to take wealthy people to the ocean and see different things.”
A Growing Worry: Assomption Island
Assets Group plans for 40 ultra-luxury villas on the sand dunes of Assomption.
Gepford’s presence on Aldabra coincided with escalating concerns over the neighboring island of Assomption, the only access point to Aldabra by air. The Assomption runway, once a modest strip, has recently been extended, with signs of construction and development activity tied to Middle Eastern investment.
“Access to Aldabra is through Assomption. Historically, there’s been a runway on Assomption. It’s been extended at both ends because of the development that’s happening,” Gepford said.
“From Aldabra’s perspective—they’re worried. Assomption is one of the last undeveloped islands in the Seychelles, and it’s less than 20 miles away. Assomption’s development will bring a lot of commercial activity, people, boats, and airplanes very close. One of the things that historically helped save Aldabra along with its ecosystems and unique plants and animals has been its sheer inaccessibility.”
This isn’t just a hypothetical threat. The atoll’s recent conservation successes—especially for sea turtles—demonstrate how delicate these ecosystems are. Green turtles have been protected on Aldabra for more than 50 years.
Aldabra tortoise, Kevin Gepford
“The green turtle recovery on Aldabra has been astounding—from less than 2,000 to 3,000 clutches per season in the 1960s to more than 15,000,” he noted. “Assomption may be just as important as a nesting site. But that beach has not been studied for sea turtle research.”
How a small team of Seychellois can defend that is anyone’s guess—but for now, Gepford doesn’t think that’s the biggest threat.
A Book Rooted in Observation
Kevin Gepford
Gepford is documenting this, from a tortoise perspective, for a nonfiction book for W. W. Norton & Company that follows the story of tortoises—and the people trying to save them—from Madagascar to Mauritius, the Galápagos, and now the Seychelles.
“Tortoises in the western Indian Ocean are a microcosm of the challenges facing the natural world today. What’s happening in Assomption reflects broader patterns globally.”
“The biggest challenge globally for nearly every wild species is habitat loss… Our cities are growing, and wildlands are converted to farmland—this crowds out animals of all kinds. Tortoises and turtles are hit really hard.”
The deeper message behind his project is about limits—what we encroach on, and what we choose to leave intact.
“What is our place in the world? Can we tread more lightly, and live with care and concern for all God’s creatures?”
Some people put gold on their car, and others in the bank. Here is a sold gold Mercedes from Dubai.
Gold has a history of maintaining value over time, which has led numerous investors to view the precious metal as a form of wealth preservation, according to Kevin DeMeritt, founder of Lear Capital.
“Gold has a largely inverse relationship to stocks and other types of assets,” DeMeritt says. “It typically is going to give your portfolio stability as other assets become more volatile — [and] is used as a safe haven during recessions, market volatility, and war.”
Physical gold can be portable — this 1-kilo gold bar’s compact size, for example, according to Lear Capital, makes it a convenient way to transport wealth.
Because of qualities like its historic ability to serve as a hedge against inflation, gold is often able to be liquidated fairly easily. As an internationally acknowledged monetary and financial asset, items such as gold coins and bars can be utilized as a means of privately storing wealth and passing it down from generation to generation.
Plans To Give Precious Metals to Family
Approximately 18% of wealthy investors own physical gold assets, and another 23% say they’re interested in obtaining them, according to a Bank of America survey. High-net-worth investors who are aged 21 to 43 appear to be particularly interested in the precious metal: 45% currently own it, and an additional 45% say they’d possibly like to purchase some.
Numerous investors have, in fact, acquired gold and other metals to pass on to family members, according to Lear Capital reviews that have been shared on platforms such as Trustpilot.
“Wealth preservation is critical because you can’t predict future markets and metals [will] have and will always hold value,” Lear Capital customer J. Hasha wrote in a Trustpilot review of the company.
Roger C. contacted Lear Capital when he wanted to purchase precious metals.
“I felt I could trust Lear Capital with my transaction,” he said in his Trustpilot review of Lear Capital. “I received my gold and silver in a timely manner as well. I’m excited to know I have a hedge on inflation and something to leave my children.”
Glenn C. said he had no prior experience buying precious metals when he reached out to Lear Capital.
“I am thinking about what I can do to assure that what I have saved in my lifetime will be there to pass on to my children and grandchildren,” Glenn said in one of the Lear Capital reviews on Trustpilot. “[The representative] and I discussed the relative prices of gold and silver, and he helped me decide how to split my order of metals so both a conservative and a growth approach could work for my investments.”
Jeff L. called Lear Capital “a great find.”
“With uncertainty looming about our economy, I was seeking an option to protect my retirement funds,” he said in one of the Lear Capital reviews shared on Google. “I researched Lear Capital and called. [The representative] was terrific walking me through the process of purchasing precious metals both to leave a legacy to my family and to preserve my funds.”
Additional Approaches
David B. isn’t waiting to give younger generations of his family precious metals.
“Once a year, I buy silver for my five grandchildren to give them for birthdays and Christmas, rather than junk that will be trashed in just a few days or weeks at most,” he wrote in one of the Lear Capital reviews shared on Trustpilot.
Some investors hope to leave specific coins to their family members. Hugh F. contacted two other precious metal providers before speaking to a Lear Capital representative about the coins he wanted to obtain, which included 1/10-ounce and ¼-ounce gold American Eagles.
“One did not respond,” he said in one of the Lear Capital reviews available on Trustpilot. “The second came back with 3/4 of the request. [The Lear Capital representative] did the real deal and I was quite pleased. Thanks to him, I will have fulfilled my eventual gift to my children and grandchildren.”
According to the review Leona B. left on Trustpilot, she at first focused on purchasing gold bullions to pass on to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren — “and watched as they happily doubled in price. I decided it would be a good time to add some silver, and I looked at the internet at the different sellers and prices,” she said. “I called Lear Capital again and [the representative] made the whole process easy and quick.”
That’s one of Lear Capital’s central customer service goals, according to Kevin DeMeritt.
“We try to move as quickly as possible to get people the metals that they want,” he says.
John, another Lear Capital customer, said he appreciates the way Lear conducts business.
“Time is money, and the more money I can make, the more I can convert to gold,” he wrote in one of the Lear Capital reviews on Trustpilot. “In the process, I had also been carrying around silver coins, and they made it super easy to offload them, which will be converted to gold!”
John also mentioned he intends to bequeath the physical precious metals he’s obtained from the company.
“WhenI die, my heirs can liquidate my coins, if necessary,” he said. “Having a multigenerational wealth resource with Lear is a big win for me, my family, and future generations!”
Close-up of the interactive sound garden at the University of Melbourne’s “Song of the Cricket” installation. Visitors walk among embedded speakers and vegetation while the gentle song of crickets reimagines Venice’s lost natural soundscape.
I live in the Mediterranean and this past winter (which is as warm as a New York spring) I had a cricket living outside my window. Every night at dusk he would start up his legs –– at first with a squeaky creak –– and he would ratchet it up to a steady sing for us a marvelous song that would last a few hours. I’d go out and check on him sometimes, hoping to keep him safe but eventually he moved on, or died. My friends say crickets in their garden is their bedtime nightmare. I was dreaming of keeping crickets for my lullabies and the scientists and musicians from Melbourne have helped my dreams come true.
Among the standout exhibits this year is “Song of the Cricket”, a groundbreaking fusion of ecological conservation and interactive sound art brought to life by researchers from the University of Melbourne.
Alex Felson carrying crickets around Venice
Set in the heart of the Venice lagoon, the installation highlights the precarious status of the Adriatic Marbled Bush-Cricket, a once-common singing insect whose habitat has been reduced to a mere 0.57 square kilometers. Fewer than 5,000 adults are estimated to remain. But this project aims to change that.
Taking the crickets through Venice
Led by Professor Alex Felson and the Urban Ecology and Design Lab at Melbourne, the team will collect, breed, and relocate these critically endangered crickets in an effort to reintroduce them into the Venice lagoon. At the same time, they will explore adaptive land-use strategies and smarter conservation approaches to help safeguard the species against future climate shifts.
“This is not just a temporary installation – it’s a step toward reconstructing vital cricket populations in the Venice lagoon,” said Professor Felson.
The exhibit features floating, mobile habitats that serve both as conservation tools and interactive sculpture. Each structure is designed to house the crickets while also offering an immersive audio experience for visitors. Blending science and sound art, the project creates a multisensory call to action for ecological stewardship.
Professor Julie Willis, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, praised the initiative as a vivid example of university-led innovation.
The cricket habitat
“‘Song of the Cricket’ showcases world-leading research from across the University. Combining art and science, the exhibit helps people to reimagine this iconic place as a living, responsive, and biodiverse city,” she said.
Miriama Young
One of the installation’s most unique features is the interactive sound garden and cricket choir, designed by Associate Professor Miriama Young. Set against the backdrop of a 16th-century Venetian shipyard, the soundscape reawakens the natural chorus that once filled the city’s wetlands.
“Antonio Vivaldi’s Venice was once alive with the sounds of nature. This project re-imagines a healthy bioacoustic environment and develops synergies in ecological art practice through architectures of sound and sustainability,” said Young.
This exhibit joins other sustainability-focused pavilions at the Biennale, such as Australia’s “HOME,” which explores Indigenous environmental knowledge, and Seoul’s call for coexistence with nature in urban planning.
“HOME,” is showcasing Indigenous knowledge systems and their relationship with environmental stewardship. The exhibition invites visitors to engage with Australia’s natural environment through Indigenous perspectives, emphasizing the importance of sustainability and cultural heritage.
HOME pavillion
Together, these works underscore a larger truth: that architecture and design are no longer just about buildings, but about reviving the ecosystems and cultural soundscapes that make cities truly alive.
Sustainability Takes Center Stage at the 2025 Venice Biennale
The 2025 Venice Biennale is placing sustainability at the forefront, with several national pavilions and exhibitions highlighting environmental themes and practices.
At the 2025 Time Space Existence exhibition in Venice at the Biennale, architectural firm MVRDV has unveiled a groundbreaking solar-responsive installation: the SOMBRA Pavilion. Designed in collaboration with Metadecor, Airshade, and Alumet, among others, the project is located in the lush setting of the European Cultural Centre’s Giardini Marinaressa.
