Category: Food

Planetary Solvency: Why Our Future Depends on Protecting Nature

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Cover of 'Planetary solvency – finding our balance with nature: Global risk management for human prosperity' study.
Cover of “Planetary solvency – finding our balance with nature: Global risk management for human prosperity” study.

The Big Picture

Imagine waking up to find grocery store shelves half-empty, the price of fresh produce soaring, and unpredictable storms disrupting everyday life. This isn’t science fiction—it’s a growing reality as our planet’s climate shifts in dangerous ways.

Scientists warn that unless we change course, we risk reaching Planetary Insolvency—a state where nature can no longer support human needs. But here’s the good news: we still have time to act. Understanding the risks and making smarter choices today can help us create a future where people and nature thrive together.

What Is Planetary Solvency?

Think about a business. If it spends more money than it earns, it eventually goes bankrupt. Our planet works in a similar way—if we take more from nature than it can regenerate, we risk collapsing the very systems that support life.

Planetary Solvency is the idea that we must manage Earth’s resources wisely to keep society stable. This means keeping our air and water clean, protecting forests and oceans, and ensuring that nature continues to provide the essentials we rely on—like food, water, and a livable climate.

For decades, economies have focused on short-term profit without considering the environmental “debt” we’re racking up. Now, we’re starting to see the consequences—but it’s not too late to course-correct.

The Warning Signs: Key Statistics You Need to Know

Climate scientists and risk analysts have uncovered troubling trends that show just how urgent this issue is:

  • The past 12 months were the hottest on record, with global temperatures averaging 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (Trust et al., 2025).

  • A key ocean current system (AMOC) has a 45% chance of collapsing by 2040. This would cause extreme weather shifts, including stronger hurricanes, longer droughts, and disrupted food production.

  • If global warming reaches 2.5°C, over 50% of land suitable for growing wheat and maize could be lost, making food shortages more common.

  • Economic risk models ignore 87% of industries, assuming they won’t be affected by climate change. This is a dangerous miscalculation—nearly all businesses depend on stable natural systems.

  • Some projections estimate that climate-driven disasters could reduce global GDP by up to 63% by 2100, leading to widespread economic instability.

The takeaway? Climate change isn’t just about rising temperatures—it affects food security, jobs, public health, and global stability.

Why Current Climate Plans Are Not Enough

Many governments have pledged to cut carbon emissions and protect ecosystems, but current efforts fall short. Here’s why:

  • The Paris Agreement didn’t account for tipping points: Climate disasters don’t happen in isolation. When one event (like Arctic ice melting) triggers another (such as changing ocean currents), the effects spiral out of control. Many climate policies fail to consider this domino effect.

  • Short-term economic focus: Many governments prioritize economic growth over environmental stability, even though our economy depends on nature—from agriculture to clean water to disaster resilience.

  • Underestimated risks: Climate models often leave out the worst-case scenarios because they are hard to predict. However, ignoring unlikely but catastrophic events is a major risk management failure.

In short, we need stronger and more realistic climate policies that recognize the full scale of the threat.

What Needs to Change: The RESILIENCE Plan

To prevent Planetary Insolvency, experts recommend a RESILIENCE-based approach, which includes:

  • Better Risk Assessments: Governments and businesses need realistic climate risk models—like financial audits, but for Earth’s health.

  • Stronger Policies: Enforceable limits on pollution, deforestation, and overfishing.

  • Faster Emissions Reductions: The longer we wait, the harder it becomes to prevent extreme warming.

  • Restoring Nature: Protecting and rebuilding ecosystems like forests and wetlands, which absorb carbon and prevent natural disasters.

  • Educating Leaders: Many policymakers lack a deep understanding of climate risk. We need climate-literate decision-makers who can balance economic growth with sustainability.

The path forward isn’t just about stopping damage—it’s about creating a world where nature and people thrive together.

What Can YOU Do?

While governments and businesses play a major role, individuals can make a difference too. Here are some ways to take action:

  • Stay Informed: Read about climate solutions, not just problems. Understanding what works can help shape smarter decisions.

  • Push for Policy Change: Vote for leaders and support policies that prioritize sustainability. Your voice matters.

  • Make Smarter Choices: Support businesses committed to sustainable practices. Reduce waste and be mindful of energy consumption.

  • Spread Awareness: Talk about these issues with friends and family. Many people want to help but don’t know where to start.

These small steps, when multiplied across millions of people, can drive real change.

Summing Up

The future isn’t set in stone. What we do today will determine whether our planet remains livable or spirals into crisis. By managing Earth’s resources as carefully as we manage money, we can protect future generations and ensure a stable, thriving world.The good news? We still have time to act—but the clock is ticking. Will we make the right choice?

Source: Trust, S., Saye, L., Bettis, O., Bedenham, G., Hampshire, O., Lenton, T. M., & Abrams, J. (2025, January). Planetary solvency – finding our balance with nature: Global risk management for human prosperity. Institute and Faculty of Actuaries & Exeter University.

The Future of Chocolate is in Danger: How Climate Change is Harming West Africa’s Cocoa Farms

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A close-up of cacao pods hanging from a tree branch. One pod is green and healthy, while the other is yellowed. The tree’s bark is rough, surrounded by green leaves.
A close-up of cacao pods hanging from a tree branch. One pod is green and healthy, while the other is yellowed. The tree’s bark is rough, surrounded by green leaves. Credit: Tope A. Asokere on Pexels.

The Chocolate Crisis You Didn’t See Coming

Imagine walking into your favorite store, craving a bar of smooth, rich chocolate, only to find that prices have skyrocketed—or worse, your favorite brand is no longer available. It sounds extreme, but this could be the reality in the not-so-distant future. West Africa produces 70% of the world’s cacao, the key ingredient in chocolate, but climate change is making it harder to grow. Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and increasing crop diseases are threatening cacao farms.

This isn’t just bad news for chocolate lovers. Millions of farmers depend on cacao to feed their families and support their communities. If cacao production continues to decline, their livelihoods—and the world’s chocolate supply—are at risk.

Where Does Chocolate Come From? (And Why Should You Care?)

Most of us don’t think about where chocolate comes from—we just enjoy it. But before that delicious bar reaches your hands, it starts as a pod growing on a delicate cacao tree.

Cacao trees thrive in warm, humid climates, but there’s a catch—they can’t handle extreme heat. The ideal temperature for cacao trees is below 32°C (89.6°F), and anything hotter can start causing serious problems.

The biggest producers of cacao—Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria—rely on these trees for their economies. More than 9 million farmers and workers depend on cacao farming to survive. But now, climate change is pushing temperatures past safe levels, and cacao trees are suffering.

Rising Temperatures Are Hurting Cacao Farms

Cacao trees have been growing in West Africa for centuries, but in recent years, farmers have noticed something disturbing: it’s getting too hot for their crops.

  • Since 2015, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have had 40 extra days per year where temperatures rise above 32°C.
  • In 2024, 71% of cacao-producing areas experienced six extra weeks of extreme heat.

Why does this matter? Because excessive heat weakens cacao trees.

  • Too much heat reduces photosynthesis, slowing growth and lowering cacao yields.
  • Cacao pods shrivel up or grow smaller, reducing the amount of chocolate that can be made.
  • Farmers are losing money, and global chocolate prices are rising.

One farmer in Côte d’Ivoire described it best:

The leaves used to protect our cacao pods from the sun. Now, they fall off too soon, and the pods dry out before we can harvest them.

The result? Lower quality cacao, smaller harvests, and more expensive chocolate.

Too Much Rain, Then Not Enough

If rising temperatures weren’t bad enough, cacao trees now face another major problem: wildly unpredictable rainfall.

Cacao farming depends on steady, well-distributed rain—about 1,500 to 2,000 mm per year. But thanks to climate change, rainfall has become chaotic:

  • In July 2024, Côte d’Ivoire received 40% more rain than expected. Farms flooded, cacao pods rotted, and entire crops were lost.
  • In December 2024, some regions received almost no rain. Without water, cacao trees wilted, and pods stopped growing.

It’s a double disaster: too much rain drowns the crops, too little leaves them starving. Farmers can’t predict when to plant or harvest, and each year gets more uncertain.

It’s Not Just the Weather, There are Other Threats to Cacao Farming

As if extreme heat and unpredictable rainfall weren’t enough, cacao farmers face even more obstacles.

Pests & Diseases Are Spreading Faster Than Ever

Warmer temperatures help pests thrive, especially mealybugs, tiny insects that spread the deadly Cacao Swollen Shoot Virus (CSSV).

  • 600,000 hectares of cacao farms in Ghana were infected with CSSV in 2023.
  • This disease alone caused a 17% drop in Ghana’s cacao production.

When cacao trees get infected, they stop producing pods and eventually die. Farmers are losing entire farms to this disease, and finding ways to stop it is difficult.

Smuggling & Illegal Mining are Stealing Cacao Farmers’ Livelihoods

Cacao farming is already tough work, but low wages are forcing some farmers to sell their crops to smugglers or even give up farming entirely.

  • Ghana lost 160,000 tons of cacao to smugglers in the 2023/2024 season—three times more than the previous year.
  • Some farmers are leasing their land to illegal miners because mining pays better than farming.

The problem? Mining damages the land, making it impossible to farm cacao again. Once a farmer gives up their land, they may never be able to return to growing cacao.

Can Anything Be Done? Yes—But It Will Take Effort.

Despite these challenges, there are solutions that can help protect cacao farming. Here’s what’s being done:

Planting Shade Trees (Agroforestry)

  • Farmers are planting taller trees, like banana, mango, and cashew, to protect cacao from extreme heat.
  • These trees cool down cacao farms and improve soil moisture.

Fighting Pests & Disease

  • Scientists are working on disease-resistant cacao trees to fight CSSV.
  • Better pest management techniques could reduce losses by 17% per year.

Fair Trade & Financial Support

  • Programs that pay farmers fair wages reduce smuggling and illegal mining.
  • More financial support means farmers can afford climate adaptation strategies.

These solutions are helping, but they need global support to make a real impact.

You might be wondering—what can I actually do? Here are some ideas:

  • Choose ethical chocolate by looking for Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, or Direct Trade labels. These brands support sustainable cacao farming and fair wages for farmers.
  • Support reforestation projects. Some groups help plant shade trees on cacao farms to protect crops from climate change. Supporting these efforts helps cacao trees survive extreme weather.
  • Tell your friends and family about this issue.

Final Thoughts

Chocolate isn’t just a treat—it’s a lifeline for millions of farmers. But if climate change continues at this rate, chocolate could become a rare luxury. The good news? We still have time to act. By choosing sustainable chocolate, supporting reforestation, and spreading awareness, we can help protect cacao farming for generations to come.

Source: Climate Central. (2025, February 12). Climate change is heating up West Africa’s cocoa belt. Climate Central. Retrieved from https://www.climatecentral.org/

Microplastics in Our Brains?!? What Scientists Have Discovered About Plastic Pollution and Human Health

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Comparison of microplastic accumulation in human organs—brain has 10x more than liver and kidney, visualized with sugar in glass jars.
Microplastic Concentrations in Human Organs: Brain samples contained 7–30 times higher MNP concentrations than liver or kidney tissues. Median MNP concentration in the brain (2024 samples): 4,917 µg/g (range: 4,026–5,608 µg/g). Median MNP concentration in the liver (2024 samples): 433 µg/g. Median MNP concentration in the kidney (2024 samples): 404 µg/g.

Why Should We Care?

Plastic pollution is everywhere. Scientists have found microplastics in our food, drinking water, and even the air we breathe. But a new study has revealed something even more alarming—microplastics are accumulating in human brains!

Researchers found that brain samples contained up to 30 times more microplastics than other organs, raising concerns about long-term health risks. Even more shocking, people with dementia had five times the amount of microplastics compared to those without the disease.

What does this mean for our health? Let’s break it down.

What Did Scientists Find?

A team of researchers studied liver, kidney, and brain samples from people who had passed away. Using advanced technology, they found:

  • All organs contained microplastics, but the brain had the highest levels—even more than the liver and kidneys, which naturally filter toxins.

  • The most common type of plastic found was polyethylene (PE)—used in plastic bags, food packaging, and containers.

  • The average microplastic concentration in the brain was 4,917 µg per gram of tissue—compared to 433 µg/g in the liver and 404 µg/g in the kidneys.

To put the quantity of microplastic concentration into perspective, imagine you’re filling three jars with sugar to represent the amount of microplastics in different organs:

  • The kidney jar gets a small teaspoon (404 µg/g).

  • The liver jar gets about the same—just over a teaspoon (433 µg/g).

  • But the brain jar? You dump in more than 10 times that amount—nearly half a cup (4,917 µg/g)!

Now picture that sugar as tiny plastic shards instead of something sweet. Your brain—one of the most protected organs in your body—is absorbing these particles at a dramatically higher rate than the liver or kidneys, which are designed to filter out waste.

While other organs process and remove toxins, the brain seems to be holding onto plastic, potentially for life. Scientists still don’t know exactly what that means for long-term health, but they do know the levels are rising quickly, and that’s a cause for concern.

This is the first time scientists have confirmed that microplastics are accumulating in the human brain—a place that should be well-protected from foreign substances.

Why Is This a Big Deal?

Plastic doesn’t belong in our bodies, let alone inside our brains! Scientists are especially worried because:

Microplastics in the brain may contribute to neurological diseases. In people diagnosed with dementia, microplastic levels were over 26,000 µg per gram of brain tissue—more than five times higher than in non-dementia cases. These tiny plastics were found inside blood vessel walls and immune cells, suggesting they might be affecting brain function.

Microplastics can bypass the brain’s defense system. The blood-brain barrier normally protects the brain from harmful substances. This study suggests nanoplastics (as small as 100–200 nanometers) may be slipping through, raising concerns about how they could impact brain health over time.

While scientists haven’t proven that microplastics cause diseases like dementia, the fact that they are accumulating in the brain demands more research.

How Do Microplastics Get into Our Bodies?

You may not realize it, but we consume and inhale plastic particles every day. Here’s how they might be reaching our brains:

  • Breathing in tiny plastic particles from dust, air pollution, and synthetic fabrics.

  • Eating plastic-contaminated food—studies have found microplastics in seafood, salt, fruits, and vegetables.

  • Drinking bottled water, which contains nearly double the amount of microplastics as tap water.

  • Absorption through the bloodstream—scientists believe that some nanoplastics are small enough to pass through protective barriers in our bodies.

Once inside, these plastics don’t just disappear. They may stay trapped in organs like the liver, kidneys, and brain for years.

Has This Problem Gotten Worse?

Yes—dramatically. Scientists compared brain samples from 2016 and 2024 and found that:

  • Microplastic levels in the brain have increased by nearly 50% in just 8 years.

  • Similar increases were found in the liver and kidney, suggesting we are all being exposed to more plastic than ever before.

  • Older brain samples (1997–2013) contained far fewer microplastics than recent ones, proving this is a rapidly growing problem.

With plastic production and pollution continuing to rise, scientists predict that microplastic exposure will only get worse unless major changes are made.

What Can We Do About It?

While the full health effects of microplastics are still unknown, reducing exposure is a smart move. Here’s how:

  • Use fewer plastics: Switch to reusable bags, glass or metal water bottles, and cloth grocery bags.

  • Filter your water: Some high-quality filters can remove microplastics from drinking water.

  • Limit processed foods: Fresh, whole foods are less likely to contain microplastics than packaged and processed foods.

  • Ventilate your home: Indoor air contains plastic particles from synthetic fabrics and household dust—keeping air clean can reduce inhalation.

  • Support policies to reduce plastic pollution: Push for laws that limit plastic waste and promote better recycling solutions.

Summing Up

Microplastics are inside our brains, and their levels are rising at an alarming rate. Scientists don’t yet know the full impact on human health, but the findings from this study suggest a need for urgent action. While research continues, the best thing we can do is reduce plastic exposure and push for solutions to stop plastic pollution at its source.

The next time you drink from a plastic bottle or open a plastic-wrapped snack, remember—some of that plastic may never leave your body.

Would you like to see a future where our brains stay plastic-free? At activist360, we sure would!

Nihart, A. J., Garcia, M. A., El Hayek, E., Liu, R., Olewine, M., Kingston, J. D., Castillo, E. F., Gullapalli, R. R., Howard, T., Bleske, B., Scott, J., Gonzalez-Estrella, J., Gross, J. M., Spilde, M., Adolphi, N. L., Gallego, D. F., Jarrell, H. S., Dvorscak, G., Zuluaga-Ruiz, M. E., … & Campen, M. J. (2024). Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains. Nature Medicine. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03453-1?error=cookies_not_supported&code=79978c49-7500-4963-807e-3de1d60b6782