A new map projection that maintains equal-area representation at global scale while seamlessly transitioning to the conformal Mercator projection upon zoom. The hybrid design uses a simple mathematical formula and offers improved appearance for most regions compared to Equal Earth, except Northern Europe, though it provides a compromise between accurate area representation and directional accuracy.
A UN report warns the world will overshoot the 1.5°C climate target by 2030. While tree planting is popular for climate action, planting trees in natural grasslands, savannas and drylands can damage ecosystems, reduce water availability and threaten livelihoods. Effective restoration requires planting trees only in appropriate ecosystems and using methods like farmer-managed natural regeneration.
Netanyahu plans a 24-hour visit to New York on September 24 to address the UN General Assembly despite an ICC arrest warrant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has publicly stated intent to arrest him, while Israel's UN ambassador frames the visit as a challenge to Mamdani. Separately, Chainlink token surged 35% in 30 days as the market recognizes its role in DeFi and tokenization infrastructure.
The UN Secretary-General's report finds that AI capacity-building financing is fragmented and leaves significant geographical gaps, particularly affecting developing countries. The report recommends establishing a Global Fund for AI Capacity-Building with initial funding of $3 billion over two to four years, alongside regular reporting on AI capacity progress and expansion of UN-supported capacity-building networks.
A comparison tool displays the Mercator projection (1569) and the UN's adopted Equal Earth projection (2018) side by side to illustrate how different map projections distort country sizes. Mercator inflates polar regions like Canada, Russia, and Greenland while shrinking equatorial areas, whereas Equal Earth maintains accurate area representation while preserving a familiar oval appearance.
A global study projects individual glacier extinction timelines using three glacier models across multiple climate scenarios, defining extinction as glaciers shrinking below 0.01 km² area or retaining less than 1% of initial volume. Results are visualized interactively as part of the UN International Year of Glacier Preservation 2025, emphasizing glaciers' cultural and ecological significance beyond their contribution to sea-level rise.
A new study finds that climate feedback loops from thawing permafrost, wildfires, and warming wetlands could amplify global warming by 20-30% by century's end, adding 0.2-0.4°C beyond direct emissions. These natural sources of methane and carbon dioxide are largely missing from current climate models and projections, potentially underestimating future warming and overestimating safe emission budgets.
A new study finds that climate feedback loops from thawing permafrost, wildfires, and warming wetlands could amplify global warming by 20-30% by century's end, adding 0.2-0.4°C to global temperatures. These emissions from natural sources are largely missing from current climate models, meaning projections underestimate future warming and overestimate remaining carbon budgets.
Japan protested a newly adopted UN world map that depicts the disputed Kuril Islands in the same color as Russia, claiming it contradicts Japan's territorial claims. The protest follows Russian President Putin's recent visit to the islands, escalating tensions between the two nations over territory seized by the Soviet Union in 1945.
The UN's Global E-Waste Monitor reports that 62 million metric tons of electronics were discarded in 2022, containing valuable metals needed for climate technologies. Only 60% of aluminum and copper in e-waste were recycled, while less than 1% of rare-earth elements like neodymium were recovered, despite growing demand from renewable energy and EV sectors.
The UN General Assembly voted 164-6 to promote equal-area maps over the Mercator projection, which distorts continent sizes. However, major navigation apps like Google Maps are unlikely to adopt the change since the non-binding resolution only encourages alternatives without mandating them, and Mercator's practical navigation benefits have made it the standard for over 450 years.
The UN passed a resolution endorsed by 164 countries to promote the Equal Earth map projection, replacing the 500-year-old Mercator projection that distorts continent sizes and inflates the appearance of the Global North. Equal Earth maintains accurate relative sizes of continents while minimizing distortion, addressing long-standing criticisms that Mercator reinforces perceptions of Western superiority.
An essay examines whether housing constitutes a genuine human right despite over 100,000 people sleeping in NYC homeless shelters nightly. The author explores the legal basis for housing as a human right under UN declarations and international law, questioning whether these frameworks provide enforceable protections or remain merely aspirational ideals without binding enforcement mechanisms.
The United Nations General Assembly voted to adopt the Equal Earth projection as an alternative to the Mercator projection, which has dominated cartography for centuries. The new map, proposed by 54 African nations, aims to represent continental landmasses more accurately by showing Africa, Latin America, and other regions in their true proportions rather than distorted by the Mercator's polar distortion. While the US opposed the change, 164 nations voted in favor, though experts note the shift is largely symbolic since all map projections require trade-offs between accuracy in shape, area, distance, and direction.