(UNEP)* —They pollute the air. They warm the planet. They prevent crops from growing. Overall, super pollutants are a pretty nasty group of chemical compounds – and unfortunately, they’re all around us.
Photo by UNEP
A new video from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) looks at some of the most problematic of these creepy critters, including black carbon, which contributes to 4 million deaths a year, and methane, which warms the planet 86 times faster than carbon dioxide.
Despite the pervasiveness of super pollutants, experts say humanity doesn’t have to put up with them. To learn more about what you can do to help, check out this interactive story after you’ve watched the video below.
The Philippines is preparing for the possibility of either a super typhoon or a significant earthquake, often referred to by Filipinos as the “big one.”
That’s one shocking revelation from a new report being launched by the UN’s Special Representative working to end violence against children, marking the beginning of the mandate 15 years ago. Continue reading →
(UN News)* — As the world marked the International Day of the Girl Child on , a town hall held at UN Headquarters provided an opportunity for young women activists to engage directly with policymakers and offer recommendations on what they need to fully realise their rights.
“The importance of insisting on completely equal rights of women and young girls is an official commitment of the United Nations, but it is also a personal commitment for which we must wage a combat,” the President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSCOC), Bob Rae, who hosted the meeting, stated.
First-ever estimates on sexual violence in childhood reveal alarming prevalence, with devastating impact on children.
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UNICEF/UNI229285/Vincent Tremeau
NEW YORK (UNICEF)* – More than 370 million girls and women alive today – or 1 in 8 – experienced rape or sexual assault before the age of 18, according to new UNICEF estimates released on 10 October 2024.
In Haiti, hundreds, if not thousands, of children driven by rising hunger and severe poverty have joined criminal groups, where they are forced into illegal activities and face abuse, Human Rights Watch said today [9 October 2024].
A recent increase in criminal groups’ recruitment of children appears to be in response to the operations of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission and the Haitian National Police.
Fishworkers are often invisible in discussions aboutclimate change, yet they are at the heart of food security, feeding millions while struggling to feed their own families. Their fight for survival is not just about tradition or livelihood—it’s about justice. Shouldn’t their futures be at the forefront of climate justice debates?
The iconic Chinese fishing nets along the Kerala coast offer a picturesque scene that draws tourists from around the world. However, the fishworkers that have used them for centuries livelihoods are in peril. Credit: Aishwarya Bajpai/IPS
KOCHI, India, Oct 10 2024 (IPS)* – Every morning before dawn, fishworkers along the shores of Kochi, Kerala, head out to sea, casting their nets in the shadow of the iconic Cheenavala—the Chinese fishing nets that have become a symbol of their community.
In the first week of June 2024, searing heat in 80 countries broke temperature records – either monthly or for all time. Heatwaves scorched the US, the Mediterranean, Southern Europe, North Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Aswan in Egypt hit 50.9°C – an all time record – on the 7th June.
(UN News)* —Two bills before the Israeli parliament could put a halt to the lifesaving operations of UN Palestine relief agency, UNRWA, which has been indispensable and irreplaceable “more than ever” over the past year of war in Gaza, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday [].
“That’s why I have written directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express profound concern about draft legislation that could prevent UNRWA from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” he said at the Security Council stakeout in New York.
Photo by UNEP
Fishworkers are often invisible in discussions about climate change, yet they are at the heart of food security, feeding millions while struggling to feed their own families. Their fight for survival is not just about tradition or livelihood—it’s about justice. Shouldn’t their futures be at the forefront of climate justice debates?
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 