In the latest depressing news about how we humans are destroying nature, Greenpeace reports that it discovered plastic pollution and hazardous chemicals during a recent expedition to the Antarctic. Laboratory analysis of water and snow samples has revealed the presence of microplastics and persistent chemicals.

More than 60 per cent of five popular vegetables sold in local markets contain excessive levels of harmful chemical residue, according to a testing by the Thailand Pesticide Alert Network (Thai-PAN), a non-governmental organisation working on food safety.