PLASTIC TRASH MAY HOLD THE KEY TO FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE
A team of researchers has developed a process that transforms discarded polyethylene terephthalate (PET)— one of the world’s most common plastics—into a material that pulls carbon dioxide out of the air. Their findings suggest that the mountains of plastic waste choking cities and oceans could double as a weapon against global warming.“Any useful carbon capture material needs to be made in the millions of tons per year from cheap and abundant sources”.
p. The process is surprisingly simple. By mixing PET with 1,2-ethylenediamine at 60°C for 24 hours—or at room temperature for two weeks—the plastic turns into bis-aminoamide (BAETA), a compound that chemically binds carbon dioxide. The material is stable up to 250°C and only begins to release CO2 when heated above 150°C. That means it could strip carbon straight from industrial exhaust gases and still work in humid air, making it viable for direct air capture.
p. “Any useful carbon capture material needs to be made in the millions of tons per year from cheap and abundant sources,” said co-author Ji-Woong Lee. “Plastic waste is a cheap and abundant source.”
p. Lead author Margarita Poderyte highlighted the double impact: “By turning waste into a raw material that can actively reduce greenhouse gases, we make an environmental issue part of the solution to the climate crisis.”
UNNERVING STORMS, FLOODING, AND MONSOON RAINS: CLIMATE CHANGE SUPERCHARGED
Super Typhoon Ragasa hit the Philippines in September, leaving at least 25 dead and forcing mass evacuations. Days later, Tropical Bualoi swept through Vietnam, Hong Kong, and southern China, displacing thousands. Storm names that once faded quickly from memory now carry the weight of fear and loss.
p. According to the World Meteorological Organization, Asia is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average. The result is a sharp rise in the intensity and duration of typhoons and cyclones, bringing torrential rains, flooding, and destructive winds to millions of people each year.“Once spread over three months, half of the rainfall in South Asia now falls within 20–30 hours”
p. The warning signs are everywhere. Marine heatwaves and record seasurface temperatures in 2024 disrupted seasonal weather, erasing winter chills and fueling extreme summer heat. Glaciers in the Central Himalayas and Tian Shan are melting faster, driving flash floods and landslides. In India, Punjab, Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh have been battered, with more than 100 relief camps now operating. In Pakistan, 2.4 million people have been forced from their homes, and at least 1,700 lives have been lost.
p. Monsoon rains, too, have turned volatile. Once spread over three months, half of the rainfall in South Asia now falls within 20–30 hours, according to an Indian government briefing. The shift is devastating economies, wrecking infrastructure, and straining fragile ecosystems.
p. Governments are scrambling to respond. In Singapore, officials are convening Sustainability Asia, a summit of more than 200 business leaders focused on climate solutions. Similar initiatives are emerging across the region, but the pace of action is struggling to match the speed of a climate spiraling out of balance.
WORLD SOCIAL FORUM HEADS TO BENIN: A COMEBACK FOR AFRICAN CIVIL SOCIETY?
Next year’s World Social Forum (WSF) will take place August 4–8 in Cotonou, the capital of Benin. It will mark the seventeenth edition of the global gathering since the first was held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2001.“the Benin forum represents a revival of African civil society, which has struggled in recent years”.
p. Unlike the corporatedriven World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the WSF has always positioned itself as its counterpoint: a space for grassroots movements, activists, and civil society organizations (CSOs) to network across borders, debate urgent global issues, and share alternative visions for development.
p. This time, the spotlight falls on Benin, a small West African nation tasked by the WSF International Board with hosting duties. Civil society groups in the region lobbied hard for it, securing government backing—and even commitments to expand the Cotonou airport and other infrastructure— to accommodate the expected flood of participants.
p. For many, the Benin forum represents a revival of African civil society, which has struggled in recent years under political repression, funding shortages, and organizational challenges. Previous WSFs in Africa were held in Mali (2006), Kenya (2007), Senegal (2011), and Tunisia (2013). But why choose Benin, a relatively small and little-known state among Africa’s 54 countries?
p. The answer lies partly in its geography and history. Benin—home to 15 million people—sits between Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Togo. To the north, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali have banded together as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a bloc of military-led governments gaining notoriety for their populist stances, anti-French rhetoric, and growing alignment with Russia.
p. By contrast, Benin’s story is one of peaceful transition. The country moved from a MarxistLeninist regime to a multiparty democracy, and today boasts more than 300 active NGOs across sectors. For advocates, it’s a promising setting at a moment when Africa is asserting more autonomy and experimenting with indigenous forms of governance.For more details, visit FSM 2026.
POLITICIZING VACCINES
For decades, parents hardly questioned the routine of childhood vaccinations. From booster shots for babies to immunizations required for school, it was considered standard health care.“Ill-informed directives can have deadly consequences, especially when they spread unproven claims”
p. That certainty was shaken on August 27, 2025, when R. F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly fired CDC Director Susan Monarez over vaccine policy. The move raised alarms about whether immunization will remain a cornerstone of government health policy in the United States.
p. The administration has also defunded mRNA vaccine research, a decision with global ripple effects. “This will also influence Canada and other countries,” warns Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization. The consequences may be even more severe for countries in the Global South, where access to vaccines has been critical in reducing child mortality.
p. The danger, experts say, lies in politicians – not doctors – dictating what patients should or should not take. Ill-informed directives can have deadly consequences, especially when they spread unproven claims, such as linking Tylenol during pregnancy to autism.
p. During the pandemic, many people experimented with alternative therapies and worked around regulations. But when anti-vaccine advocates gain the power to set policy, the risks escalate. “Scant knowledge,” as Rasmussen and others suggest, can injure or kill.
p. Public trust in vaccines requires dialogue between communities and policymakers. Forcing compliance without addressing fears only deepens resistance. But as the CDC shakeup shows, politicizing vaccines is not just reckless – it’s life-threatening.
