Earth
A Time When We Count Plastic Waves on the Shore
It’s easy to overlook the plastic waste scattered on our beaches or floating in the ocean. But the reality is clear: plastic pollution is suffocating our oceans and destroying marine life

What does the reality of our oceans look like today? Plastic pollution. Do we go to the beach without ever noticing a plastic bottle or plastic waste amidst the beauty of the waves and the vast sea? Or have we lost sight of nature’s true state, consumed by the exploitation we have allowed? It’s time we took a moment to reflect.
Today, one of the biggest challenges facing our oceans is plastic pollution. Since 2018, the world has produced 359 million metric tons of plastic. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), approximately 400 million tons of plastic waste are generated annually, with around 36% used for packaging—much of which ends up in landfills. In India alone, around 3.3 million metric tons of plastic waste is generated each year. And a large portion of this, approximately 8 million metric tons, ends up in the oceans annually.
Currently, our oceans are home to about 5.25 trillion plastic items, weighing a staggering 268,940 tons. By 2050, it is projected that there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish, according to a 2016 report presented at the World Economic Forum.
Disaster in the Deep Blue
Why is plastic waste so widespread in our oceans? As we walk along the beach, enjoying the beauty of the waves and the endless blue horizon, have we ever stopped to think about the plastic we might be overlooking? Beneath the surface, our oceans now hold vast quantities of plastic waste that are invisible to the naked eye, often carried by rivers or discarded carelessly by humans.
The plastic waste that litters the oceans consists of both macroplastics (larger objects such as bags and bottles) and microplastics (tiny particles that result from the breakdown of larger plastics). These microplastics, often less than 5 millimeters in size, are created as a result of exposure to sunlight, wave action, and other environmental factors. Even though these particles become so small, they do not disappear completely from the marine ecosystem.
Plastic waste, whether it’s a discarded plastic bottle, fishing gear, or other synthetic materials, poses a major threat to marine life. Marine creatures consume plastic debris, mistaking it for food, and suffer from serious health consequences. The damage is not limited to marine organisms; human beings are also at risk, as the toxic chemicals in plastics enter the food chain.
The Ecological and Economic Impact
The consequences of plastic pollution are far-reaching. For marine ecosystems, plastics lead to habitat destruction, toxic contamination, and loss of biodiversity. For humans, plastic waste affects fisheries, tourism, and coastal economies. Plastic waste also disrupts the functioning of marine ecosystems, which are essential for regulating the climate and providing food and oxygen for life on Earth.
Plastic debris floating on the water’s surface or sinking to the ocean floor threatens marine navigation and ship safety as well. The potential for harm is vast, and addressing the problem is crucial to preserving the future of our oceans.
Why Are We Still Struggling to Tackle Ocean Pollution?
Even as millions of tons of plastic waste flow into the oceans every year, why is there still no effective response to this environmental crisis? One reason is the lack of comprehensive research and detailed studies on the extent of microplastic pollution and its long-term impact on marine ecosystems. To understand the scale of the problem, we need to know how much waste is accumulating in the oceans and where the most significant concentrations are.
While commercial vessels and research ships have gathered some data, using plankton nets to collect ocean samples, this method only covers a small fraction of the vast oceans. The challenge is that the sheer size of the oceans makes it nearly impossible to assess the full scale of plastic pollution using current techniques. Moreover, long-term data on how plastic waste is changing over time is still limited.
The Impact of Plastic on Marine Life and Human Health
The effects of plastic pollution on marine life are devastating. Fish, birds, and other marine creatures often mistake plastic debris for food, leading to ingestion, which can be fatal. Some animals become entangled in fishing nets or plastic packaging, restricting their movement and leading to death. Even more concerning is the potential for toxic chemicals from plastics to enter the food chain, eventually reaching humans.
Moreover, plastic waste that floats on the surface or sinks to the bottom of the ocean poses a threat to navigation and shipping, making it difficult for vessels to safely navigate through affected areas. As plastics degrade over time, they release harmful chemicals into the water, further exacerbating the environmental damage.
Using Satellites to Track Plastic Waste
Understanding the extent and movement of plastic waste in the oceans is key to mitigating its impacts. Researchers at the University of Michigan once proposed an innovative solution by leveraging satellite data to monitor plastic pollution. NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS), launched in 2016, has been used to track microplastics in the ocean, helping scientists better understand their location and movement. The research conducted by the University of Michigan on using NASA’s satellite data to monitor and track plastic waste in the oceans was published in 2020.
This method utilizes radar to measure surface roughness, which can indicate the presence of plastic debris. Since microplastics tend to float on the ocean surface and are influenced by wind patterns, this system can help identify areas with high concentrations of plastics, allowing for more effective cleanup efforts.
Satellites that record wind speed can also detect changes in the distribution of microplastics. Through satellite imagery, researchers have observed that plastic pollution in the northern hemisphere’s oceans peaks during the summer months, while in the southern hemisphere, it rises during January and February. This data offers critical insights into seasonal changes in plastic distribution and can guide future cleanup operations.
Researchers have also used satellite data to monitor pollution flowing from rivers, such as those in China’s Yangtze River, and how it affects nearby ocean regions. This type of research can be crucial in understanding how industrial growth and population density contribute to increasing plastic waste.
Satellite Data for Cleanup Efforts
One of the key benefits of satellite-based research is its potential to aid ocean cleanup organizations. By identifying areas with high concentrations of plastic, cleanup operations can be more focused and efficient. These organizations can deploy specialized vessels equipped to collect and recycle plastic debris, significantly reducing waste in targeted regions.
However, the relationship between ocean surface roughness and microplastic concentrations is still under study. While the researchers have observed a pattern, they caution that the link may not always be direct. Other factors, such as surfactants in the water, could also be influencing surface conditions, so more research is needed.
The use of satellite-based systems like CYGNSS is still a developing area of study, and researchers are continuing to improve the accuracy of detecting microplastics and understanding the seasonal variations of their distribution
As of now, the research has shown promising results, but the methodology is still under refinement. The findings have been used to create maps identifying regions with high levels of microplastics. These maps are helping organizations and cleanup efforts focus their resources more efficiently.The use of satellite-based systems like CYGNSS is still a developing area of study, and researchers are continuing to improve the accuracy of detecting microplastics and understanding the seasonal variations of their distribution. Researchers are also working on refining cleanup technologies based on this satellite data to increase their effectiveness in addressing plastic pollution.
Time to Address Ocean Pollution
Plastic pollution is a growing threat, and the time to act is now. Governments, industries, and individuals all have a role to play in reducing plastic waste and preventing further harm to our oceans. Stronger regulations on plastic production and disposal, increased public awareness, and innovation in biodegradable materials are all part of the solution.
As we continue to confront this crisis, it is essential that we understand the full extent of plastic pollution in our oceans, track its impact on marine ecosystems, and work toward sustainable solutions that protect the environment for future generations. The health of our oceans is directly tied to the health of our planet—and it is up to all of us to make a difference.
It’s easy to overlook the plastic waste scattered on our beaches or floating in the ocean. But the reality is clear: plastic pollution is suffocating our oceans and destroying marine life. As we continue to pollute, we risk not only the health of our oceans but also the survival of countless species, including our own. It is time to take action before the waves of plastic drown the beauty of the seas we cherish.
Earth
Meltwater ponds might have sheltered life during earth’s deep freeze
During this time, the planet was believed to be encased in ice, with global temperatures plummeting to as low as -50°C

In a study published in Nature Communications, scientists from MIT have proposed that shallow meltwater ponds may have provided critical refuges for early complex life during one of Earth’s most extreme ice ages — the “Snowball Earth” period, which occurred between 635 and 720 million years ago.
During this time, the planet was believed to be encased in ice, with global temperatures plummeting to as low as -50°C. Despite the harsh conditions, complex cellular life — known as eukaryotes — managed to survive. The new research suggests that these life forms could have found sanctuary in small, briny pools formed on the surface of equatorial ice sheets.
“Meltwater ponds are valid candidates for where early eukaryotes could have sheltered during these planet-wide glaciation events,” said lead author Fatima Husain, a graduate researcher in MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, in a media statement. “This shows us that diversity is present and possible in these sorts of settings. It’s really a story of life’s resilience.”
The team drew parallels between ancient equatorial ice sheets and modern Antarctic conditions. They studied contemporary meltwater ponds on Antarctica’s McMurdo Ice Shelf — an area first dubbed “dirty ice” by explorers in the early 20th century. These ponds, formed by sun-warmed dark debris trapped within surface ice, provided a modern analog to the possible melt environments of the Cryogenian Period.
Samples taken from these Antarctic ponds revealed clear signatures of eukaryotic life. Using chemical and genetic analysis, including the identification of sterols and ribosomal RNA, the researchers detected algae, protists, and microscopic animals — all descendants of early eukaryotes. Each pond supported unique communities, with differences shaped largely by salinity levels.
“No two ponds were alike,” Husain noted. “There are repeating casts of characters, but they’re present in different abundances. We found diverse assemblages of eukaryotes from all the major groups in all the ponds studied.”
These findings suggest that meltwater ponds — overlooked in previous hypotheses — could have served as vital “above-ice oases” for survival and even diversification during Snowball Earth.
“There are many hypotheses for where life could have survived and sheltered during the Cryogenian, but we don’t have excellent analogs for all of them,” Husain explained. “Above-ice meltwater ponds occur on Earth today and are accessible, giving us the opportunity to really focus in on the eukaryotes which live in these environments.”
The study was co-authored by MIT’s Roger Summons, Thomas Evans (formerly MIT), Jasmin Millar of Cardiff University, Anne Jungblut of the Natural History Museum in London, and Ian Hawes of the University of Waikato in New Zealand.
By uncovering how life may have persisted through Earth’s frozen past, the research not only deepens understanding of our planet’s history — it may also help inform the search for life on icy worlds beyond Earth.
Earth
In ancient India, mushy earth made for perfume scent
Kannauj, a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, offers a sustainable alternative in producing perfumes using traditional modes of distillation.

A sweet scent typically lingers around in the air at Kannauj, an ancient city in India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh. It’s an imprint of the countless occasions when it had rained, of roses that bloomed at dawn, and of sandalwood trees that once breathed centuries of calm.. Though mushy smells are not unique to Kannauj, the city utilized traditional distillation methods to make perfume out of these earthly scents.
Kannauj has had a longstanding tradition in perfume-making since four centuries ago. The city, colloquially known as the country’s ancient perfume capital, still uses rustic copper stills, wood-fired ovens, and bamboo pipes leading to sandalwood oil-filled vessels, or attar as it is colloquially known, to make their perfume. Though it gives a pre-industrial look, a closer peek would reveal an ecosystem of complex thermal regulation, plant chemistry, sustainability science, and hydro-distillation chemistry at work.
When synthetically-made but sustainable perfumes, and AI-generated ones share the spotlight today, Kannauj’s tryst with perfumes offer an alternative, sustainable model in traditional distillation, which is inherently low-carbon, zero-waste, and follow principles of a circular economy; all in alignment with sustainable development goals.
Traditional perfume-making is naturally sustainable
In industrial processing, hydro-distillation is a commonly done to separate substances with different boiling points. Heating the liquids produce vapors, which can later be liquefied in a separate chamber. Perfumers in Kannauj follow the same practice, except it promises to be more sustainable with the copper stills, a process colloquially known as dheg-bhakpa hydro-distillation.
There’s no alcohol or synthetic agents in use. Instead, they heat up raw botanicals – such as roses, vetiver roots, jasmine, or even sunbaked clay – to precise temperatures well short of burning, thereby producing fragrant vapor. The vapors are then guided into cooling chambers, where they condense and bond with a natural fixative, often sandalwood oil. Plant residue is the only byproduct, which finds use as organic compost to cultivate another generation of crops.

Trapping earthly scent to make perfume
In the past five years, Kannauj’s veteran perfumers noticed a quiet, but steady shift in their timely harvest and produce. Rose harvests have moved earlier by weeks. Vetiver roots grow shallower due to erratic rainfall. Jasmine yields are fluctuating wildly. The local Ganges river, which influences humidity levels essential for distillation timing, is no longer as predictable. For an entire natural aromatic economy built on seasonal synchrony, this uncertainty has rung alarm bells.
“The scent of a flower depends not just on the flower itself,” Vipin Dixit, a third-generation attar-maker whose family has distilled fragrance for decades, said to EdPublica.
“It depends on the weather the night before, on the heat at sunrise, on the moisture in the air. Even the soil has a scent-memory.”

As a result, perfumers in Kannauj have begun to adapt, applying traditional wisdom through a modern scientific lens. Local distillers are now working with botanists and environmental scientists to study soil microbiomes, measure scent compounds using chromatography, and develop community-based rainwater harvesting to ensure sustainable crop health.
One of the most surprising innovations is trapping petrichor — the scent of first rain — through earth attars. Clay is baked during extreme heat waves, mimicking summer conditions, then distilled to trap the scent of rain hitting dry soil. This aroma, called mitti attar, is one of the few scents in the world created from an environmental phenomenon; and not a flower.
At a time when the world is scrambling to save biodiversity, the humble attar may become a template for green chemistry — one that doesn’t just preserve scent, but also restores the relationship between science, nature, and soul.
Earth
A Region on the Edge: Ocean Heat, Island Peril, and a Global Wake-up Call
Real-world impacts in the South-West Pacific — from disappearing glaciers to cultural erosion in Fiji — illustrate what is at stake.

In a stark warning for the world, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its latest report in June first week, The State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2024, painting a vivid picture of escalating climate extremes across ocean and land. The report, released to coincide with the 2025 Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva and ahead of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, warns that the South-West Pacific is already grappling with the climate future the rest of the world fears.
A record-breaking Year
2024 marked the warmest year on record for the region, driven by El Niño conditions and unprecedented ocean heating. Nearly 40 million square kilometers — over 10% of the global ocean surface — was scorched by marine heatwaves.
“2024 was the warmest year on record in the South-West Pacific region. Ocean heat and acidification combined to inflict long-lasting damage to marine ecosystems and economies. Sea-level rise is an existential threat to entire island nations. It is increasingly evident that we are fast running out of time to turn the tide,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Celeste Saulo in a recent media statement.
The heat was not limited to oceans. Extreme temperatures shattered records in Australia and the Philippines, increasing health risks and straining already vulnerable infrastructure.
Storms, floods, and vanishing ice
The report recounts an unprecedented cyclone season in the Philippines: 12 storms in just three months, affecting over 13 million people and displacing 1.4 million. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s last tropical glacier in New Guinea may vanish by 2026. Satellite estimates show a 30-50% ice loss since 2022.
Precipitation patterns swung to extremes. While Malaysia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea faced above-average rainfall and floods, parts of Australia and New Zealand were parched by drought.
The ocean in crisis
The annual sea surface temperature in 2024 was the highest since records began in the early 1980s. Combined with acidification and deoxygenation, ocean warming is devastating marine life and altering storm patterns.
Worryingly, the South-West Pacific sea-level rise already exceeds the global average, threatening islands where over half the population lives within 500 meters of the coast.
Displacement and cultural loss
The Fijian island of Serua, battered by floods and eroding shores, exemplifies the dire choices communities must make.
Despite government offers to relocate, many residents resist because of their deep connection to the land, or “vanua,” a concept embedding identity, spirituality, and ancestry.
“On two separate occasions, the island experienced such extreme flooding that it was possible to cross the entire island by boat without encountering land,” the WMO report said.

Hope in anticipation: Early warnings save lives
Not all is bleak. A case study from the Philippines showcased how early warning systems and anticipatory action helped mitigate the toll of the 2024 cyclone season. The Food and Agriculture Organization’s anticipatory action teams helped relocate fishing boats and distribute cash aid ahead of the storms.
“While the frequency of tropical cyclones may decrease, their intensity will rise. Building resilience is essential,” the report warns.
A Global Response: UNOC3 Signals Change, But Action Must Follow
As the WMO’s warnings echoed, the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) concluded in Nice, France (June 9-13, 2025), providing a parallel platform of hope and accountability.
- The High Seas Treaty reached 49 ratifications, nearing the 60 needed for enforcement.
- Nearly $10 billion in funding was pledged for ocean health, though experts note that the real need is $175 billion annually.
- Countries endorsed the 30×30 conservation goal and backed measures against deep-sea mining and plastic pollution.
“We must move from plunder to protection,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his closing address.
These developments reinforce the urgency of the WMO findings. Real-world impacts in the South-West Pacific — from disappearing glaciers to cultural erosion in Fiji — illustrate what is at stake.
The South-West Pacific is not a distant front line. It is the epicenter of an unfolding climate reality. With international mechanisms like the High Seas Treaty nearing activation and early warning systems proving effective, the question is no longer whether we can respond — but whether we will act in time.
As the seas rise and the clock ticks, it’s not just islands at risk. It’s the future of global climate stability.
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