Global Scans · Pollution · Weekly Summary

• [New] With millions of tons of PET produced every year, improving recycling efficiency could significantly reduce plastic pollution and help protect ecosystems worldwide. Futurity
• [New] Air pollution linked to climate change was responsible for more than eight million premature deaths globally in a single year, making it the second-leading risk factor for death globally. Climate Week
• [New] Preventable Deaths: About half of global disease burden could be reduced by addressing modifiable risk factors-high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, air pollution, and high blood sugar. Medbound Times
• [New] Risk factors such as obesity, smoking, and air pollution play a major role in driving chronic disease - and if they were addressed, nearly half of all deaths and disability globally could be prevented. Euronews
• [New] Military spending increases from NATO could lead to a major rise in planet-warming pollution. Yahoo News
• [New] At African Energy Week 2025, Angola will present an innovative solar-powered system designed to mitigate coastal and marine pollution. PVKnowhow
• [New] By 2026 environmental health will be a core focus in diabetes care, with 25% of treatment plans incorporating pollution reduction strategies (ADA, 2025). DiabetesRxUSA
• [New] By 2050, over 60% of mining firms aim to achieve net-zero emissions or carbon neutrality, leading to wide-scale adoption of renewable energy, electrification of fleets, and precision mining techniques designed to reduce land disturbance and pollution. Mining.com
• [New] Instead of cutting pollution, the Arctic shortcuts could drive a sharp increase in global shipping emissions, while concentrating climate impacts in the northern hemisphere. Eye on the Arctic
• [New] Planned military buildups could add as much pollution as the entire nation of Oman. Yahoo News
• [New] EPA plans to revise a rule issued under the Biden administration that required coal power plants to install more advanced water pollution controls, with a proposed rule expected in November. JD Supra
• [New] The Blue Planet is regarded as having drawn attention to the global problem of plastic pollution, and The Life of Mammals explored the threat humanity has posed to every other species on Earth. The Independent
• [New] While stricter air quality policies are cutting pollution-related cancer deaths in the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, China's persistently high rates and global ageing trends mean the worldwide burden is projected to climb. News-Medical
• [New] Under a business-as-usual scenario in which petrochemical companies continue ramping up plastic production, pollution is predicted to outstrip waste management and recycling even further, doubling to 44 million metric tons by 2060. Grist
• As biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution accelerate globally, shifting geopolitical dynamics are putting reliable government and multilateral funding for conservation and climate action at risk. IUCN World Conservation Congress
• Aerosol emissions have declined globally - partly from efforts to reduce pollution from global shipping - but absent any unified policy framework for reductions, levels could easily surge back. Scientific American
• Already facing an onslaught of human pressures - including overfishing, pollution, rising temperatures, and acidification - the world's seas could see the burden placed on them double over the next couple of decades. Wired
• Pollution-related losses in fisheries alone exceed $200 million annually, while the potential for coastal tourism remains largely untapped. / Pakistan Dawn
• In some parts of the world, dolphins are still victims of illegal hunting, and increasing plastic and oil pollution in the oceans is also putting their lives at risk. thecivicsense

Last updated: 20 October 2025