What on Earth?

Vietnam has made laudable progress in recent years to shut illicit timber out of its supply chains and so keep access to the lucrative export markets on which its huge furniture industry relies. But new investigations by EIA’s Forests team have revealed that those efforts are in danger of being undermined by high-risk timber entering from neighbouring Cambodia and Laos, with the true nature of the...

Humans tend to respond to threats we can see, but the world’s mounting plastics pollution crisis isn’t just a matter of what’s visible.  In this episode, we take a closer look at microplastics, tiny particles which have been found from the deepest ocean floors to the highest mountain peaks and everywhere inbetween – including in human blood, brains and placental tissue. Joining EIA Senior Press an...

Ongoing negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty effectively ground to halt in Geneva last year when talks ended without an agreement or even a timeline for what happens next. But the process doesn’t need to be left in limbo, held hostage by a small number of petrostates and vested fossil fuel interests intent on blocking it – new research commissioned by EIA shows there are several alternative w...

In recent years, rhino poaching and horn seizures have become less visible in the news – but that doesn't mean these majestic creatures are free from the threats posed by poachers and illegal trade.  In this episode, we dive into two recent reports from our colleagues at EIA US which shed light on the complexities of rhino horn trafficking, particularly focusing on an analysis of enforcement effor...

Recent findings from an investigation by our colleagues at EIA US reveal a shocking truth about cobalt production in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Cobalt is an essential element in the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles in the Global North – but its production in DRC has left communities grappling with severe respiratory issues linked to the pollution from a new processing facility...

Why do the world’s whales still need saving from commercial hunting? The International Whaling Commission effectively banned commercial whaling from 1986 and yet the world’s amazing and environmentally essential whales are still being hunted for their flesh and blubber. EIA has joined forces with several partners to launch a new global petition calling on the last three whaling nations to join the...

In recent years, nitrous oxide has gained attention as a significant environmental threat, yet many people remain unaware of its implications for the climate, the integrity of the Earth’s protective ozone layer and for human health. While nitrogen is essential for life, excessive reactive nitrogen results in substantial pollution issues … In this episode, Climate Campaigner Tom Nickson talks with...

Methane is widely regarded as the second most important greenhouse gas the world needs to address in the fight against runaway climate change. Tonne per tonne, it’s 82.5 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period and is responsible for a third of the warming that has occurred so far. In this episode, EIA Climate Campaigner Jack Corscadden and special guest Christophe McGlade, an e...

Environmental crime is rated as the third or fourth largest organised criminal activity globally, but what motivates those carrying it out, from wealthy kingpins at the head of transnational syndicates to poachers at the other end of the scale? A new book – Green Crime: Inside the minds of the people destroying the planet and how to stop them – takes a deep dive into the world of eco crime, estima...

EIA’s report Cooling the Climate Crisis analysed the climate impact of supermarket refrigeration and revealed that up to 70 per cent of a supermarket’s emissions stem from cooling. Our Climate campaigners have been directly engaging with the retail sector since 2009 to make it aware of the serious impacts of using climate-harming refrigeration while simultaneously sharing information about the alt...

Fantastical cinema has long been a place where audiences can confront their darker fears in a safe environment, albeit often dressed up in the guise of shambling monsters and unknown alien threats to keep them at arm’s length. In this episode, we’re taking a look at five unsettling films with environmental themes – just in time for Halloween! Join EIA Senior Technical Services Manager Chris Buckle...

Our latest report, A Pivotal Player – Vietnam’s ongoing fight against the illegal wildlife trade, concludes that, although the country has made significant inroads, it still faces significant challenges. In this episode, the report’s main authors, EIA UK Senior Wildlife Campaigner Linh Nguyen and EIA US Senior Wildlife Policy Analyst Taylor Tench, discuss the latest findings and talk about what mo...

The final round of talks to hammer out the detail of a Global Plastics Treaty opened in Geneva in early August – and almost two weeks later collapsed with no agreement at all, due in large part to the blocking tactics employed by a handful of petrostates and a multitude of lobbyists working to safeguard corporate fossil fuel interests. To discuss what went wrong in Geneva and what the way forward...

The final round of talks in pursuit of a Global Plastics Treaty is due to get under way in Geneva shortly and there's everything still to play for.   But as ambitious countries and civil society organisations such as EIA pursue a robust agreement to meaningfully tackle the crisis, corporate fossil fuel interests seek instead to discredit the science and push for a diluted Treaty which will allow t...

Tens of thousands of dolphins, porpoises and whales are killed each year in European waters due to being bycaught in fishing gear – and some populations are coming perilously close to extinction. To discuss the findings of her new report Catch of the Day, EIA Senior Ocean Campaigner joins Senior Press & Communications Officer Paul Newman.

With approximately only 5,500 wild tigers left in the world, this iconic species remains under threat from a variety of factors, particular illegal wildlife trade. The illegal trade in tigers and their parts and derivatives continues to be fuelled by facilities holding tigers in captivity, especially in China. One survey estimate more than 6,000 individual tigers being held in China’s ‘tiger farms...

Climate-damaging F-gases are synthetic substances widely used in refrigeration, air-conditioning and elsewhere. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are the most common and are so harmful that they are to be phased down under the Montreal Protocol and phased out altogether in the EU. However, the chemical industry is pushing to replace them with a new generation of lucrative products which, although easier o...

What was expected to be the fifth and final session of the UN’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee met in South Korea last month, but ultimately it failed to agree a Global Plastics Treaty. Instead of cause for celebration, our campaigners came away from the talks concerned that the process had been hijacked by vested financial interests. In this episode, EIA Ocean Campaign Leader Christina D...

The fifth round of talks in pursuit of a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty kicks off in Busan, South Korea shortly — but will we emerge with an agreement capable of tackling the world’s plastic crisis or will vested interests compromise the final vision. In this episode, EIA Ocean Campaign Leader Christina Dixon and Ocean Campaigner Jacob Kean-Hammerson join Senior Press & Communications...

In the countdown to EIA’s 40th anniversary in September, as well as sharing films and stories from our archive, we’ve also recorded a short series of new podcasts with some of the longest serving campaigners to get an insight into how the organisation has evolved over four decades. In this episode, EIA’s Senior Press and Communications Officer Paul Newman talks with Debbie Banks, the leader of EIA...

In the countdown to EIA’s 40th anniversary later this year, as well as sharing films and stories from our archive, we’ve also recorded a short series of new podcasts with some of the longest serving campaigners to get an insight into how the organisation has evolved over four decades. In this episode, Senior Press and Communications Officer Paul Newman talks with EIA UK Campaigns Director Julian N...

In the countdown to EIA’s 40th anniversary later this year, as well as sharing films and stories from our archive, we’ve also recorded a short series of new podcasts with some of the longest serving campaigners to get an insight into how the organisation has evolved over four decades. In this episode, EIA’s Senior Press and Communications Officer Paul Newman talks with EIA US Executive Director Al...

After a strong opening to UN talks in pursuit of a Global Plastics Treaty, recent rounds of negotiation have been hindered by the efforts of fossil fuel industry lobbyists as well as by some countries keen to water it down and rein in its ambition. In this episode, EIA Ocean Campaign Leader Christina Dixon and Ocean Campaigner Jacob Kean-Hammerson join Senior Press & Communications Officer Pau...

With only an estimated 10 individuals left, the vaquita porpoise is the world’s most endangered marine mammal, pushed to the edge of extinction by illegal fishing for the dried swim bladders of totoaba fish which are in high demand in Asia.   But despite the species’ alarmingly low numbers, recent action in their range by Mexico’s Navy appears to give them a fighting chance – now we need consumer...

In the countdown to EIA’s 40th anniversary later this year, as well as sharing films and stories from our archive, we’ve also recorded a short series of new podcasts with some of the longest serving campaigners to get an insight into how the organisation has evolved over four decades. In this episode, EIA’s Senior Press and Communications Officer Paul Newman talks with EIA UK Executive Director Ma...