The Cool Down

2 days ago | thecooldown.com | Alana Bracken

A superyacht owned by Google co-founder Sergey Brin docked in Miami recently, sparking conversation about the excess of its 465-foot blueprint. "Looks like a navy destroyer," said one commenter on a recent TikTok showing the "Dragonfly" in South Florida.

3 days ago | thecooldown.com | Leslie Sattler

In Australia, regional Victoria and South Australia are experiencing drought conditions that experts are calling the worst in decades. According to 9News, this is prompting agricultural communities to seek emergency government support, and they are warning of economic collapse. The drought is crippling food production across two of Australia's major agricultural regions. Victoria and South Australia are home to substantial portions of the country's lamb, wine grape, and horticultural production.

3 days ago | thecooldown.com | Leslie Sattler

A California mother filed a lawsuit against WaterWipes after independent testing found microplastics in baby wipes marketed as pure and made with only two simple ingredients, reported Law360. Devery Merlo from San Jose, California, claims WaterWipes misleads parents who want safer products for their children. The company markets its baby wipes as the purest, made from just water and fruit extract.

3 days ago | thecooldown.com | Leslie Sattler

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered a natural defense mechanism that could help us predict and combat microplastic pollution in waterways, according to a news release. Their research shows that biofilms — slippery films created by tiny organisms — act like nature's cleanup crew by preventing microplastics from settling into riverbeds and coastal sediments.

3 days ago | thecooldown.com | Alana Bracken

A Vermont-based homebuilding company has evolved away from constructing expensive homes to building instead with the climate in mind. New Frameworks left the custom-home business after 18 years because it saw a gap in the market for environmentally responsible building. "We can't do that if we're waiting for somebody else's consent or say-so," co-founder and CEO Ace McArleton told the Burlington Free Press.