Looking to recap everything green and good that happened this past month? Don’t worry, we’ve got you! From banning disposable vapes to cutting financial ties with fossil fuels, we’re giving you the scoop on 10 of the weird and wonderful things that happened around the world in November or so.
- Disposable vapes to be banned from June 2025 in England
The UK government will ban single-use disposable vapes in England and Wales starting June next year. Aside from the health risks, these devices pose significant environmental challenges, with nearly five million discarded weekly, creating substantial waste and potential hazards. The disposable vapes contain enough lithium to power 5,000 electric vehicles and contribute to environmental pollution through improper disposal.
Batteries from these vapes can leak harmful substances and cause fires in waste management facilities. Environment Minister Mary Creagh described the vapes as “extremely wasteful” and detrimental to urban landscapes.
- Los Angeles sues Coca-Cola and PepsiCo Over Plastic Pollution, Recyclability Claims
Los Angeles County announced that it has filed a lawsuit against beverage giants PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, claiming that the companies play a significant role in plastic pollution’s negative impacts on the environment and public health; have misrepresented the recyclability of plastic beverage containers to the public; and have failed to disclose significant environmental and health harms associated with the use of plastic beverage containers.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have mispresented the environmental impact of plastic beverage containers, claiming that they are “recyclable” despite knowing that plastics cannot be readily disposed of without associated environmental impacts. According to the county, most plastic containers end up at landfills or as litter, while recycling using current methods, while most plastic containers end up at landfills or as litter.
- These Silicon Valley apartments will get their heat from nearby data centres
The proposed project is the first in the U.S. to send excess heat from data centres to the local community at a large scale—making use of the abundant heat generated as servers process and use data. For San Jose, it’s part of a bigger plan to reduce the city’s emissions.
The system is designed to heat up water and then send it to the new apartment buildings in pipes, where heat pumps will make it ready for use either in heaters or for hot water in showers and sinks. (Designing apartment buildings that can connect to district heating takes some extra steps, but is straightforward, Andrew Jacobson, vice president of US Development at Westbank, the developer partnering with PG&E on the project, says.) There will also be extra heat in the system that could later be connected to additional new buildings.
This approach isn’t new globally—cities like Stockholm, Helsinki, Paris, and London are already using data centre heat to warm buildings, with some data centres providing up to 80% of a community’s heating needs
- Minecraft is bringing conservation to the gaming world
Minecraft and The Nature Conservancy are collaborating to raise conservation awareness through a new interactive map, Minecraft National Park. Celebrating Minecraft’s 15-year anniversary, the map features nine diverse ecosystems where players can explore and learn about wildlife habitats.
Each park ranger station provides educational experiences, supporting The Nature Conservancy’s real-world conservation efforts, including wildlife connectivity projects.
- New Zealand is building an electric gondola to curb congestion
Next year, Queenstown will become home to Whoosh, an innovative ride-hailing network that combines elements of a ski lift with advanced transportation technology. Unlike traditional gondolas, Whoosh’s electric-powered cabins can independently move along a stationary cable and rail system, reaching speeds of 26 m.p.h. and offering flexible routing without stops.
The 370-acre pilot project, set to launch by 2027, aims to revolutionise urban mobility. Each cabin can be summoned via app or ticket machine and promises to be twice as efficient as the most economical electric cars. CEO Chris Allington believes the system could potentially remove 20% of vehicles from Queenstown’s roads, addressing the city’s notorious traffic congestion.
- Glasgow is trialling eco-friendly electric wallpaper to heat its ageing homes
In Glasgow, a novel electric wallpaper is being piloted in 12 tenement properties, addressing Scotland’s unique heating challenges. With homes among Europe’s oldest and worst insulated, losing heat three times faster than European counterparts, the country faces significant energy efficiency issues. Currently, 84% of Scottish homes use fossil fuel-powered central heating, contributing to the UK’s high carbon emissions from building heating.
The Scottish New Build Heat Standard, launched in April, aims to introduce climate-friendly heating systems, with this innovative electric wallpaper potentially offering a promising solution.
- There’s a new tool that uses your smartphone to figure out where your house is wasting energy
HomeBoost’s BoostBox is a $99 DIY home energy audit kit that empowers consumers to assess their home’s energy efficiency without feeling pressured by professionals. The smartphone-compatible tool includes a thermal camera attachment and an app that guides users through a 30-minute scanning process of their home and appliances.
The app analyses the photos alongside climate data, contractor costs, and rebate information to generate a personalised report. This report provides actionable recommendations for improving home energy efficiency, ranging from low-cost solutions like sealing drafts to more significant investments like attic insulation. After completing the audit, users simply mail the kit back to HomeBoost.
By offering an affordable, user-friendly alternative to professional energy audits, BoostBox helps homeowners identify potential energy savings and understand the financial and environmental benefits of home improvements.
- 6 European countries pledge €130 million to protect biodiversity
Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway and the UK announced fresh funding at the UN biodiversity summit, COP16, which took place in Colombia.
The Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) gets cash to countries and communities working to conserve, restore and ensure the long-term health of wild species and ecosystems. Hosted by the Global Environment Facility, it gathers contributions from all sources, including public, private and philanthropies.
In June 2024, the GBFF approved the fund’s first projects in Brazil, Fiji, Gabon and Mexico. The Mexico project, for example, will bolster national protected areas, in service of the GBFF’s ‘30×30’ goal to protect 30 percent of the planet by 2030. In total, 24 developing countries are currently accessing support from the fund, with another 18 ‘project preparation grants’ also approved this summer.
- The world’s largest single coral colony ever recorded was found in the Solomon Islands
On an expedition to the Solomon Islands, divers affiliated with National Geographic have found the world’s largest single coral colony ever recorded.
It’s longer than the largest blue whale. At 34 metres in length, and with a width of 32 metres, it could sit corner to corner across 5 tennis courts. Experts believe it has been growing for between 300 and 500 years.
The mammoth coral was discovered by scientists from National Geographic’s Pristine Seas Initiative, which aims to gather scientific data to inform conservation measures in places where marine life is bountiful. During an expedition to the Three Sisters island group in the Makira-Ulawa Province of Solomon Islands, they thought at first its massive shadow under the water was a shipwreck.
- University of Toronto’s environment school cuts financial ties to fossil fuels
The University of Toronto’s environment school has announced it will financially dissociate from fossil fuel companies, in a landmark win for climate activists.
The institution has committed to stop taking funds from the sector for research, sponsorships, scholarships or infrastructure such as buildings. It will also halt collaborations with the industry on events and school initiatives and cease to host fossil fuel recruitment events, while working to “increase transparency about our funding, donations, and partnerships”.
The decision makes University of Toronto’s School of the Environment the only academic institution in North America with a commitment to fossil fuel dissociation. Princeton University made such a commitment in 2022 but walked it back this month.
We do this every month 😉
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FEATURED Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Observer