Stefan Anderson

The global plastics crisis explained in 6 charts Research shows the extent of plastic pollution today — and why the U.N. is negotiating a treaty to keep it from getting worse.

ICYMI: @jbwinters.bsky.social is reporting from Geneva as the U.N. approaches a global plastics treaty. Here’s our chart-heavy look from last week on the state of the plastics crisis: grist.org/internationa...

EU Says It's Ready To Deal On Plastics Treaty, But Not 'At Any Cost' - Health Policy Watch The European Union said Tuesday it is ready to make a deal on a global plastics treaty but will not accept an agreement "at any cost,"...

The EU said it is ready to make a deal on a global plastics treaty but will not accept an agreement “at any cost,” leaving the door open to rejecting a weak outcome as negotiators enter the final 72 hours of talks with core provisions still deadlocked.

healthpolicy-watch.news/eu-ready-to-...

Global Plastics Treaty Talks Near Collapse With Days To Deadline - Health Policy Watch GENEVA — The world's attempt to forge a plastics treaty billed as the most important environmental deal since the Paris climate accord is falling apart after

Global Plastics Treaty Talks Near Collapse With Days to Deadline

"We have more square brackets in the text than plastic in the sea. It's time to get results," EU environment chief Jessika Roswall said. "We cannot miss this historic opportunity."

healthpolicy-watch.news/global-plast...

Mass Killings, Sexual Violence And Famine Grip North Darfur As Rebels Prepare El Fasher Assault - Health Policy Watch Based on interviews with over 80 civilians, MSF data and direct observations from its medical teams, the report documents the violence and humanitarian

Mass Killings, Sexual Violence, and Famine Grip North Darfur as Rebels Prepare El Fasher Assault

⏰⬇️Critical updates in the latest reports from @msf.ca, @amnesty.org, @unicef.org, and the @unhcr.org.

✍️ @stefananderson.bsky.social
@wfp.org

I just published an explainer on aerosols and their role in the climate that I've been working on for the past few months! It includes both how aerosols work, how emissions have changed, and how thats driven recent warming: www.carbonbrief.org/...

Internal documents show “senior officials at the agency warned Rubio of the devastating impact that would be caused by the cuts, including 1 million children untreated for malnutrition, up to 160,000 deaths from malaria and 200,000 more children paralyzed from polio over the next decade.”

Trump administration to cut all USAID overseas roles and axe thousands of staff State department to take control of US foreign assistance programs in mass restructuring by 30 September

Months after Musk and Trump told the agency it is “time to die,” looks like the final nail in the coffin.

USAID will cut all international staff by September, ending nearly seven decades of operation for the world’s largest provider of humanitarian aid.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Artificial intelligence threatens to raid the water reserves of Europe’s driest regions The EU wants to compete with the U.S. and China on artificial intelligence. But critics say policymakers haven’t planned for the sector’s extreme water demand.

Artificial intelligence threatens to raid the water reserves of Europe's driest regions — @politico.eu

www.politico.eu/article/arti...

The Social Security Administration Is Gutting Regional Staff and Shifting All Public Communications to X The SSA's shift to Elon Musk's X comes as the agency plans to cut its regional office workforce by roughly 90 percent, WIRED has learned.

The SSA is shifting all public comms to X amid major staffing cuts: www.wired.com/story/social...

UN Agency Chiefs Warn Of 'Utter Disregard For Human Life' As Gaza Blockade Enters Second Month - Health Policy Watch Heads of six UN agencies including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the World Food Programme issued a desperate warning that blockades of aid, food,

#UN Agency Chiefs Warn of ‘Utter Disregard for Human Life’ as Gaza Blockade Enters Second Month

Heads of six UN agencies including the @who.int , @unicef.org, and the @wfp.org issued a desperate warning.

✍️ @stefananderson.bsky.social
@msf.ca
@costsofwar.bsky.social

Russia-linked Telegram channels ‘offering to pay for attacks on mosques’ Exclusive: campaigners say cryptocurrency payments were offered to UK residents who daubed anti-Muslim graffiti

Russia-linked Telegram channels ‘offering to pay for attacks on mosques’
www.theguardian.com/news/2025/fe...

At Least 880 Workers Were Fired at US Weather Agency Hundreds of employees at the top US agency overseeing weather and climate research were fired as the Trump administration moves to shrink the size of the federal government.

At least 880 NOAA employees were fired today with hundreds more expected as soon as Friday. Right as there's:

🔥 a red flag warning for most of Nebraska and Iowa
🌪️ severe weather season picking up next week in the South
🔥🔥 "significant" wildfire potential for the Southwest and Southeast next month

UNHCR freezes US$300 million of suspended U.S. aid, impacts 600 staff The budget freeze is part of almost US$700 million that the U.N. refugee agency already received from the United States.

Scoop: UNHCR moved to freeze 'activities worth about US$300 million.' The budget freeze is part of almost US$700 million the U.N. refugee agency already received from the United States. By @stefananderson.bsky.social

State Department Puts ‘All Direct Hire’ USAID Personnel on Administrative Leave The US government’s primary foreign aid agency has employees stationed all over the world, many of whom are now bracing to abruptly leave their posts.

The State Department is putting “all direct hire personnel” at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on administrative leave, except staff responsible for mission-critical functions.

"These steps will help us manage resources while we navigate this challenging period,” Grandi wrote. “We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust these measures if necessary.”

The UNHCR chief instructed regional & division directors to immediately implement "precautionary measures" to cut spending: freeze international travel & events; delay non-emergency supplies & procurement; pause temporary appointments & contracts; and suspend non-essential equipment purchases.

"We must proceed very carefully over the next few weeks to mitigate the impact of this funding uncertainty on refugees and displaced people, on our operations, and on our teams," High Commissioner Filippo Grandi told UNHCR's more than 20,000 staff in an email on Monday.

Even with US funding covering $2B of the $4.8B received by the agency last year, UNHCR faced a $5.4B budget shortfall as the number of displaced people and refugees hit all-time highs. Fresh uncertainty over its future funding further complicate its mission to aid 43.7M refugees worldwide.

U.N. refugee agency freezes hiring, cuts spending amid U.S. aid pause UNHCR's directors scrambled to tighten its budget in response to the Trump administration's 90-day aid stoppage.

🌐 🇺🇳 Scoop: UNHCR is the latest U.N. agency to impose urgent spending cuts after nearly US$1 billion of its 2025 budget was held up in Trump's foreign aid freeze.

WHO announced similar cuts last week - both agencies count the U.S. as their top donor.

www.aretenews.com/unhcr-cuts-c...