Biodevastation

Tobacco companies use global American Chambers of Commerce chapters to block taxes, sell new nicotine products, and burnish their public image, researchers say.

For much of the past two centuries, profits flowed from building things: factories, transportation networks, electric grids, cities, suburbs, and global communications infrastructure. Capital transformed abundant fossil energy into ever-greater economic velocity and complexity. Today, that process is becoming difficult to sustain. The easiest resources have already been exploited. Infrastructure is aging. Ecological damage is accumulating. Debt is growing faster than productive capacity. Political legitimacy is eroding. Competition over energy, resources, and strategic supply chains is intensifying.

India’s rapid expansion of AI and data centres is raising concerns about environmental justice, resource use, and the impact on vulnerable communities. In this article, Dr Gopabandhu Dash examines the growing ecological footprint of data infrastructure, including its demands on water, electricity, land, and its contribution to carbon emissions. Drawing on studies, public interventions, and international experiences, the article argues that the costs of digital expansion are often borne by marginalized populations. It calls for greater public scrutiny, stronger environmental safeguards, and a more equitable approach to technological development.

Denmark’s new agricultural reforms are prompting a broader debate about the future of farming in Europe. In this essay, Gunnar Rundgren examines efforts to curb industrial pig production, strengthen environmental protections and support smaller-scale farming. He argues that decades of consolidation and market-driven agriculture have weakened rural communities, eroded public support for farming and disconnected food production from local needs. While welcoming recent reforms, Rundgren calls for a deeper transformation that restores farms as diverse ecosystems and redefines farmers as stewards of land, animals and food security.

A hypothetical solar or nuclear future, at current energy usage rates, would require more minerals or uranium than can realistically be extracted. Recycling would help, but there are also limits to recycling. In the end, the main solution to our energy and climate problems must be to find a way to use less,

This article by Ghassan Shahrour reflects on the findings of ICAN’s 2025 report on nuclear weapons spending, which shows that nine nuclear-armed states spent $119 billion on their arsenals in a single year. Writing from the perspective of a physician, Shahrour contrasts these expenditures with unmet needs in health care, essential medicines, nutrition, and climate resilience. He argues that peace and public health are closely linked and examines how military priorities and corporate interests shape resource allocation. The article calls for renewed engagement by health professionals in advancing disarmament and human security.

Forty years of studies find higher cancer risks among children exposed during pregnancy and early life to pesticides used on farms, lawns, gardens, and pets

Rising temperatures are affecting women’s health in ways that often remain unseen. Drawing on research and field evidence from across India, Dr. Trishna Sarkar examines how extreme heat can disrupt menstrual cycles, increase risks during pregnancy, and contribute to miscarriage, stillbirth, and other reproductive health challenges. The article highlights the disproportionate burden borne by women working in informal and outdoor occupations, where exposure to heat is greatest and social protections are weakest. It also explores policy and public health measures that could help address the gendered impacts of climate change and improve protection for vulnerable workers.

India’s push to attract hyper-scale data centres is accelerating, with Andhra Pradesh positioning itself as a major AI infrastructure hub. This article examines the environmental, economic and social implications of that strategy, including concerns over massive power and water consumption, ecological impacts, limited long-term employment generation, and the growing influence of global technology companies. Drawing on developments in the United States, where public opposition and legislative initiatives are challenging rapid data-centre expansion, it argues that India needs greater public scrutiny, transparency and democratic oversight before committing vast resources and sensitive regions to large-scale AI infrastructure projects.