Plastic continues to fill the world’s oceans at an astonishing rate, inflicting major environmental damage. The cost is not merely to the natural world though, as the economic impact of this man-made predicament is also immense

Opposition from industry bodies and Republican-led states means that the EPA’s latest attempt to strengthen the Clean Air Act has been shut down

The world’s largest coal importer and consumer is looking at tackling the issue of pollution, but not without consequences