Subscribe
pollution
Environment / 4 weeks ago
The world’s most polluted countries
Air pollution remains one of the world’s most pressing environmental and health threats. The latest IQAir 2024 World Air Quality Report paints a troubling picture, showing that millions of people still breathe air far above safe health limits. According to the report, Chad, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and India were the world’s most polluted countries in 2024, with air quality levels many times higher than the guidelines set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Environment / 7 weeks ago
Where penguins really live—and why their homes are disappearing
When you think of penguins, ice, Antarctica, and snow probably come to mind. Yet penguins are found in far more varied places than many realise. From sub-antarctic islands to temperate coasts, even near the equator. A visual map of their global distribution makes clear how this iconic group of birds has carved out niches in diverse climates, but also how vulnerable their habitats are to ongoing environmental shifts.
Environment / 13 weeks ago
Why a handful of islands have the world’s cleanest air
The air quality ranking isn’t led by vast industrial economies but by tiny island territories with clean skies and windswept coastlines. The IQAir 2024 World Air Quality Report reveals that the Bahamas, Bermuda and French Polynesia recorded average fine‑particulate (PM₂.₅) concentrations of 2.3–2.6 µg/m³, well below the World Health Organisation’s guideline of 5.0 µg/m³.
Environment / 18 weeks ago
Where it is illegal to urinate in the sea
When it comes to strange laws around the world, Portugal carries the win. It is the only country in Europe where it is illegal to urinate in the sea, a law that’s both amusing and puzzling to many travellers. While the rest of Europe is marked in yellow in a map created by The World in Maps, indicating legality, Portugal is boldly shaded in red, standing alone with this unique regulation.
Environment / 34 weeks ago
The alarming truth: Only 9% of the world's plastic waste gets recycled
The world is facing a plastic crisis, with millions of tons of plastic waste generated every year. Despite efforts to increase recycling rates, the reality is grim: only 9% of the world's plastic waste gets recycled, according to a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The majority—nearly 50%—ends up in landfills, while 19% is incinerated. Alarmingly, 22% of plastic waste is mismanaged, meaning it leaks into the environment through open dumping, uncontrolled burning, or being lost in nature, ultimately contributing to the growing crisis of plastic pollution in oceans, rivers, and ecosystems.
