Six major Iranian cities including Tehran and Isfahan have activated orange air pollution alerts. Tehran’s Air Quality Index (AQI) remains persistently at “unhealthy” levels, with pollutant concentrations in some areas exceeding standards by up to eight times. This has forced school closures and government office shutdowns, escalating into a nationwide environmental emergency.

The BP Olympic Pipeline spill released approximately 25,600 gallons (9,710 kiloliters) of gasoline, contaminating soil and streams near Conway, Washington (Hill Ditch, Bourson Creek). The incident resulted in the deaths of a small number of wildlife, including beavers and birds.

A refrigeration system malfunction at an ice plant in Trang Province, southern Thailand, caused liquid ammonia to leak and rapidly vaporize into toxic gas. Two factory workers inhaled high concentrations of ammonia in the work area, exhibiting poisoning symptoms including breathing difficulties and eye irritation. The affected employees were hospitalized for treatment. The plant has…

Data from the German Federal Association for Waste, Water and Recycling Management (BDE) reveals that since November 23, approximately 30 fires have occurred daily on average across Germany involving garbage trucks, recycling stations, and processing plants. Eighty percent of these fires are linked to lithium-ion batteries, with disposable e-cigarettes being the primary culprits.

During military exercises near Lake Lucerne (Lake Lucerne), approximately 100 liters of fuel leaked into the lake, forming a large oil slick that threatens the surrounding aquatic ecosystem. Environmental organizations strongly condemned the military for its “lack of environmental awareness,” demanding a thorough investigation and compensation for damages.

The latest research in November indicates that Arctic permafrost is thawing at an accelerated rate, releasing toxic substances like mercury and prehistoric viruses that have been sealed for tens of thousands of years (a 2024 scientific expedition successfully revived 13 prehistoric viruses from permafrost 2 meters deep). Cracks in Greenland’s ice sheet have significantly increased…

On November 19, Lake Victoria—Africa’s largest lake (covering 69,000 square kilometers and sustaining 47 million people)—was reported to be “suffocating” under plastic waste. Plastic waste stretches for kilometers along the shoreline, with scientists warning that pollution threatens regional food security and water sources. Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania are seeking international assistance to jointly tackle this…

On November 18, 2025, local time, a residential building in the Sagakane district of Saiki City, Oita Prefecture, Japan, caught fire. Strong winds fueled the blaze, forming a “fire tornado.” Due to the dense concentration of wooden structures in the area, the fire rapidly spread to shops, the fishing port, forests, and nearby uninhabited islands.…

The Department of Ecology and Environment, Department of Industry and Information Technology, and six other departments in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region jointly released the “Supplementary List of Key Controlled New Pollutants in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (2025 Edition).” For the first time, microplastics have been formally included as a key controlled substance, with six specific…

The Florentijn Estuary in South Africa, an internationally significant wetland, has recorded its first instance of pH levels dropping below 4—a “catastrophic acidification event.” This has led to a 67% decline in benthic biodiversity and the loss of the wetland’s carbon sink function. Scientists warn this will trigger a chain reaction of ecological disasters and…