From scientific discoveries to activist wins, here are the latest news stories showcasing the people who are taking on climate change and nature loss.

 🏥 Sustainable home upgrades make us healthier

A new analysis has quantified the impact of phasing out oil and gas and going all-in on heat pumps and electric appliances in the US. This would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 400m tons, while the drop in air pollution would be equivalent to taking 40m cars off the road. People’s health would reap the benefits of this transformation, with 3,400 fewer premature deaths and 220,000 fewer asthma attacks each year. 

💩 The plankton poop that submerges carbon

Algal blooms absorb 150bn tons of carbon a year, but unfortunately, much of this is released back into the atmosphere. To better use this phenomenon to our advantage, scientists are exploring adding clay dust to the ocean’s surface. Once the zooplankton nibble on the clay, mistaking it for food, their poop will bind to the carbon and sink it to the bottom of the ocean. Early results show this method cuts the amount of carbon that’s released into the atmosphere by half.

☕️ How coffee growers can thrive in the face of climate change

Of the 130 coffee species we know about, only two – arabica and robusta – are cultivated for our morning brew. But their sensitivity to rising temperatures and drought means these plants are at risk, along with the livelihoods of 100m people who depend on them economically. Genetic diversity could be the key to saving coffee amid worsening climate change, as a climate scientist discovered when she found a climate-resilient hybrid growing in the forests of Timor-Leste. Pushing these new varieties into the spotlight could help create a market for new varieties, helping farmers in the global coffee trade stay afloat.