We spend an average of 90 per cent of our time indoors, and good indoor air is paramount for our optimum health, wellbeing and productivity. However, indoor air is often contaminated with pollutants from indoor sources, as well as those that have migrated from outdoors, and thus may potentially present a greater risk to our health than outdoor air. This issue of the environmental SCIENTIST examines aspects that are important to understanding how to achieve good indoor air quality. Read about the importance of good indoor air, a monitoring campaign in nurseries and schools, and indoor air quality considerations for companies returning to the office following Covid-19.

From marine pollution to the unsustainable production of food and our changing climate, the wellbeing of people and the ocean is inextricably intertwined. The Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) aims to provide a framework to generate the global ocean science needed for sustainable development of our shared ocean. This edition of the environmental SCIENTIST examines the 10 challenges of the Decade where efforts will be concentrated. Read about the impacts of climate change on coastal systems, actions needed for sustainable marine food production, building resilience to coastal hazards, and how marine professionals and coastal residents can work together to increase ocean literacy. 

Environmental education can provide significant benefits above and beyond environmental knowledge. This edition of the environmental SCIENTIST examines opportunities for environmental education – from primary and secondary school to study at university or participation in environmental outreach activities – and the value of widespread environmental literacy to individuals, societies and in addressing global sustainability issues. Read about the role of young people in the environmental movement, career paths that can follow an environmental education, and how to educate for an environmentally resilient economy.

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.

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.