Every home in Spain still remembers the images from the devastating floods that hit the Valencia region on October 29 last year: people stranded in their cars, standing on top of roofs, and entire villages washed away by the brown, muddy flood waters. In some places, a year's worth of| Magma
In this issue of Lapilli, we take stock of the past summer. From there, we travel to Syria, where drought is compounding fragile post-civil war conditions, and Morocco, where desalination plants seem only to be a temporary relief from the ongoing seven-year drought and not a lasting solution. We then| Magma
How can we transition to green energy in a way that is not exploitative for the communities that will pay the inevitable environmental costs of mining?| Magma
The piercing call of the Alpine marmot has long echoed across high pastures. Today, those calls carry a new note of urgency, as the species faces threats on multiple fronts. In this month’s Lapilli+, science and nature journalist Roman Goergen reports on what researchers know about the state| Magma
As the world ramps up production of the technologies it needs to move away from fossil fuels, most of today’s mining still boils down to digging in the dirt.| Magma
In Lopera, a town in Andalusia, locals are up in arms against the expropriation of olive groves to make way for solar farms. They worry that such schemes are damaging the local environment and accelerating rural decline.| Magma
It was a particularly eventful August, marked by heatwaves, record-breaking fires and powerful storms. In France, the use of air conditioning, which remains relatively uncommon, has become a political issue. In the western Mediterranean, venomous blue dragons have been spotted, while researchers have identified one of the drivers behind marine| Magma
As Europe eyes its valuable mineral supply, environmentalists and locals are concerned about pollution and impact on agriculture.| Magma
Local residents are seeking more information and want stronger guarantees that mining won’t harm the nature on which their livelihoods depend.| Magma
Challenging the notion that mass and elite tourism are the only viable models for the region.| Magma
While authorities promise to reduce air pollution, the most affected neighborhoods still fear for their health.| Magma
Every summer along the Mediterranean coast, a familiar conflict plays out over who gets to occupy the shores. In Italy, for instance, access to beaches is legally a common right, with guaranteed public access. In practice, however, private operators have increasingly taken over stretches of coastline, charging steep fees for| Magma
As trendy destinations in southern Europe increasingly battle over the availability of water, are media productions and marketing campaigns fostering an unfair use of this precious resource?| Magma
In Greece, heatwaves and wildfires are increasingly affecting vital stopovers for many birds migrating between Africa and Europe.| Magma
From the turtle-nesting beaches of Italy to Greek island bird havens, across the Mediterranean campaigners are fighting to protect habitats from tourists seeking a picture-perfect vacation.| Magma
The most memorable event I attended during the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice was a panel dedicated to small-scale fishers. What stood out was the energy, authenticity and engagement rarely seen in conference settings. Among the panelists was a representative from the Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE)| Magma
In this issue, we share several David vs. Goliath stories — small producers challenging large industrial groups: from the impact of industrial tuna farming in Malta on the populations of small pelagic fish to the struggles of small-scale fishers in Italy and Spain to receive EU money (unlike their larger counterparts)| Magma
This month's newsletter arrives from Egypt via Egab. Journalist Mariam Mokhtar introduces us to a selected variety of Paulownia, an Asian plant with large leaves and multiple uses, which its advocates claim could help combat tree cover loss and desertification. While Paulownia can be invasive in some contexts, in an| Magma
Six to nine early-career journalists will be selected to participate in this hands-on program, which aims to enhance environmental reporting skills.| Magma
