Recognition of feedback between human activities and our supportive ecosystems, in turn affecting human health, economic prospects, security and opportunity, has been well documented. In this edition of the environmental SCIENTIST, we explore the need for a new paradigm that places ecosystems and their processes at the centre of societal thinking, policy, fiscal systems and resource use habits, ultimately reconnecting society with its ecological roots. Read about how a systems approach could provide positive transformations for human health, water management, flood regulation, defence, nature conservation and many more areas.

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Whilst the human cost of war is profound and undisputed, war’s environmental consequences have received far less attention, despite their potential for significant and long-term harm to human health and ecosystems. This edition of the environmental SCIENTIST examines the environmental dimensions of conflicts: how the environment can be affected by armed conflicts and military activities, and what can be done to increase its protection. Read about how citizen science could help to protect people and ecosystems, why deforestation rates can soar after the fighting has stopped, and the promise and perils of protected zones.

From plastic in rivers and oceans to the contribution to climate change, the issue of waste can no longer be confined to landfill. Despite growing awareness of the consequences of our use of resources and our wasteful habits, there are many problems still to be solved. This edition examines how circular economy theory can be embedded across sectors, how we might tackle plastic in oceans and rivers, and provides practical case studies of waste hierarchies in action. This is one journal that won't end up in the recycling bin, but will be passed around family and colleagues.

In this edition of the environmental SCIENTIST our authors explore what natural disasters mean to people and the changing frames in which we view them, as well as the multitude of approaches taken to respond to disasters worldwide. From fracking-induced tremors to the influence of different names on storm damage, drought management to volcanic ash plume tracking and why we should look no further than our own shores when categorising disasters.

Planet earth is a particularly noisy place. From the hustle and bustle of people, traffic clogging the streets and new construction in our cites to the song of the nightingale and the sounds of water cascading down a waterfall in the countryside, we are subject to all manner of sounds, often without giving them a second thought. From the downright painful to the serene, sound impacts on the health and wellbeing of us all, never mind the impacts it may have on the other animals we share this planet with. In this edition, we seek out tranquillity and how to measure it, explore the balancing act of noise pollution mitigation in construction and learn how to safely deter bats from flying into danger.