The ongoing conflict over the Strait of Hormuz tends to reach us as dispassionate numbers: boats, barrels, energy prices, shipping lanes. But the strait is not just some barren, empty passage – its islands are environmentally rich, home to sensitive habitats like mangrove forests and fisheries. Since the war began, multiple oil spills and widespread pollution have reached these delicate areas.
In any war, pollution tends to be an afterthought, a necessary evil to be lamented and sorted out once the guns stop firing. But as waterways expert Nima Shokri explains, nature is infrastructure. Mangroves shield coastlines, fisheries and soil support food systems, and the strait’s water feeds desalination plants. We need to protect these vital resources now, as the war’s impacts will long outlast any ceasefire.
On the outskirts of Luxor, Egypt, researchers have found a previously unknown 3,000-year-old Egyptian tomb. This fascinating account details what it’s like to be the first person in three millennia to set foot in one of these rooms.
And as summer grinds on, it’s worth remembering that heat doesn’t affect everyone in the same way. Autistic people are often especially at risk because sensory processing issues can prevent them from noticing temperature changes. This can cause unexpected effects, including occasional fever-like spikes in body temperature. Some useful tips in this article can help to manage this while the heat endures.
