Lead Story
WMO bulletin confirms ozone layer recovery accelerating, driven by decades of science-based action
The World Meteorological Organization's latest Ozone and UV Bulletin, released Wednesday, September 16, 2026, found that the 2025 Antarctic ozone hole was among the least severe in more than two decades, with a peak ozone mass deficit more than 25% below the 1990-2010 average -- the second consecutive year the hole's depth and extent came in well under historical norms. Scientists attributed the improvement to sustained global compliance with the Montreal Protocol's phase-out of ozone-depleting chemicals. If current policies hold, WMO projects the ozone layer will fully recover to 1980 levels by around 2045 over the Arctic, 2040 for most of the rest of the world, and 2066 over Antarctica.
Read more →Lead Story
WMO bulletin confirms ozone layer recovery accelerating, driven by decades of science-based action
The World Meteorological Organization's latest Ozone and UV Bulletin, released Wednesday, September 16, 2026, found that the 2025 Antarctic ozone hole was among the least severe in more than two decades, with a peak ozone mass deficit more than 25% below the 1990-2010 average -- the second consecutive year the hole's depth and extent came in well under historical norms. Scientists attributed the improvement to sustained global compliance with the Montreal Protocol's phase-out of ozone-depleting chemicals. If current policies hold, WMO projects the ozone layer will fully recover to 1980 levels by around 2045 over the Arctic, 2040 for most of the rest of the world, and 2066 over Antarctica.
Chile becomes first South American country validated by WHO for eliminating dog-transmitted rabies
The World Health Organization announced Monday, September 14, 2026, that Chile has been validated as having eliminated dog-mediated human rabies as a public health problem, the first country in South America to reach the milestone; the country's last reported case of dog-to-human rabies occurred in 1972. The achievement caps more than five decades of sustained pet vaccination campaigns, stray-dog population management and community surveillance by Chilean health authorities, and marks the country's second neglected tropical disease elimination this year after leprosy. WHO officials said the validation offers a model other countries in the region can follow as part of a broader global push to end dog-transmitted rabies deaths by 2030.
Read more →Chile becomes first South American country validated by WHO for eliminating dog-transmitted rabies
The World Health Organization announced Monday, September 14, 2026, that Chile has been validated as having eliminated dog-mediated human rabies as a public health problem, the first country in South America to reach the milestone; the country's last reported case of dog-to-human rabies occurred in 1972. The achievement caps more than five decades of sustained pet vaccination campaigns, stray-dog population management and community surveillance by Chilean health authorities, and marks the country's second neglected tropical disease elimination this year after leprosy. WHO officials said the validation offers a model other countries in the region can follow as part of a broader global push to end dog-transmitted rabies deaths by 2030.
US solar capacity reaches milestone enough to power 50 million homes
The US solar industry passed a symbolic threshold in early September 2026, with cumulative installed capacity reaching roughly 299 gigawatts -- enough to generate electricity for more than 50 million homes, about a third of all US households. Developers added 11.4 gigawatts of new capacity in the second quarter alone, a 45% jump from a year earlier, with utility-scale projects contributing the bulk of the growth. Industry analysts at Wood Mackenzie project the US will nearly double its solar capacity again by 2031, with enough installed to power 100 million homes by 2034.
Read more →US solar capacity reaches milestone enough to power 50 million homes
The US solar industry passed a symbolic threshold in early September 2026, with cumulative installed capacity reaching roughly 299 gigawatts -- enough to generate electricity for more than 50 million homes, about a third of all US households. Developers added 11.4 gigawatts of new capacity in the second quarter alone, a 45% jump from a year earlier, with utility-scale projects contributing the bulk of the growth. Industry analysts at Wood Mackenzie project the US will nearly double its solar capacity again by 2031, with enough installed to power 100 million homes by 2034.
New Zealand's kakapo population hits recovery-era high after record breeding season
New Zealand's Department of Conservation confirmed on September 1, 2026, that the critically endangered kakapo population reached a recovery-era high of 325 birds, after ninety chicks from 2026's record breeding season were formally added once the youngest survivor turned 150 days old. The 2026 season produced at least 101 hatchlings from 256 eggs laid in 80 nests -- comfortably beating the previous record of 73 chicks set in 2019 -- and included three four-year-old females breeding for the first time along with several chicks conceived through artificial insemination. The flightless, nocturnal parrot, the world's heaviest, had dwindled to just 51 birds in the mid-1990s before decades of predator control and intensive breeding management on predator-free islands turned its fortunes around.
Read more →New Zealand's kakapo population hits recovery-era high after record breeding season
New Zealand's Department of Conservation confirmed on September 1, 2026, that the critically endangered kakapo population reached a recovery-era high of 325 birds, after ninety chicks from 2026's record breeding season were formally added once the youngest survivor turned 150 days old. The 2026 season produced at least 101 hatchlings from 256 eggs laid in 80 nests -- comfortably beating the previous record of 73 chicks set in 2019 -- and included three four-year-old females breeding for the first time along with several chicks conceived through artificial insemination. The flightless, nocturnal parrot, the world's heaviest, had dwindled to just 51 birds in the mid-1990s before decades of predator control and intensive breeding management on predator-free islands turned its fortunes around.
France's landmark anti-fast-fashion law takes effect, targeting Shein and Temu
Financial penalties under France's new fast-fashion law began applying on September 1, 2026, making France the first European country to adopt legislation specifically targeting 'ultra-fast fashion' retailers such as Shein and Temu. The law imposes a per-item eco-fee starting at 25 euro cents and rising to 12 euros by the end of the decade, with a full ban on advertising for ultra-fast-fashion brands, including by social media influencers, set to take effect in January 2027. Lawmakers said the measures aim to curb the environmental toll of mass-produced, disposable clothing, which generates enormous textile waste and carbon emissions.
Read more →France's landmark anti-fast-fashion law takes effect, targeting Shein and Temu
Financial penalties under France's new fast-fashion law began applying on September 1, 2026, making France the first European country to adopt legislation specifically targeting 'ultra-fast fashion' retailers such as Shein and Temu. The law imposes a per-item eco-fee starting at 25 euro cents and rising to 12 euros by the end of the decade, with a full ban on advertising for ultra-fast-fashion brands, including by social media influencers, set to take effect in January 2027. Lawmakers said the measures aim to curb the environmental toll of mass-produced, disposable clothing, which generates enormous textile waste and carbon emissions.