The traits proposed to define us — tool use, language, empathy, and so on — assume that humanity’s essence resides in what sets us apart from other beings. Yet, a seismic readjustment to that canon is well under way.
An ambitious project to chart the seabed by 2030 could help countries prepare for tsunamis, protect marine habitats, and monitor deep-sea mining. But the challenge is unprecedented.
We know we need to consume less for the good of the planet, but what if those sacrifices were balanced against the incentive of shorter working hours? The pandemic could hold lessons for how we think about work.
The ocean is like a superhighway for plastic debris, and every nation with a shoreline has a sliproad onto it. Regardless of where it comes from, once plastic enters the ocean, it’s everyone’s problem.
