Latest Stories from Jamie
Opinion – Musk should not be charging for Twitter’s blue tick status
New Twitter boss Elon Musk is planning to charge $240-per-year for blue tick status. Could shifting away from simple verification and toward an open premium service lead to fundamental flaws in the platform? We reckon so. Elon Musk’s hard-fought campaign to get his hands on Twitter was always superseded by a desire to make the platform more democratic, but his early moves point to a lack of critical thought. The world’s...
Face masks and plastic gloves are being used to reinforce concrete
In our efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the globe reportedly gets through 129bn face masks per month. Australian researchers now propose diverting our PPE waste away from landfill and mixing it into concrete. Protecting communities and healthcare workers from COVID-19, whilst trying to claw our way out of a self-inflicted plastic waste crisis has been a nigh-on impossible balance to strike. The world has reportedly gotten through a staggering...
Google launches ‘FloodHub’ to track potential flooding disasters
In the days leading up to COP27, Google launched a new GPS service called FloodHub. As the risk of extreme weather increases, this platform aims to assist in tracking where and when floods may occur. COP27 is finally underway in Sharm El Sheikh, and delegates from across the planet have united to come up with bold climate policies… or so we hope. The initial days are mostly about paying lip service...
Student wins design prize for microplastic collecting robot fish
A student at the University of Surrey has designed a robot fish capable of filtering waterways to collect microplastics. The digital code is open source too, so anyone with access to a 3D printer can create their own. Microplastics are an ecological menace that have only really entered global discourse in the last few years. Making up close to 92% of the estimated 5.25 trillion plastic objects floating on the...
Lula da Silva’s election win renews hope for Brazil’s future
Brazil’s new president Lula da Silva has driven Jair Bolsonaro out of office with a narrow electoral win this weekend. This has renewed hope that the nation’s problems with gun violence, deforestation, and anti-LGBTQ+ policies can now be addressed. Everyone loves a comeback story, and they don’t come much sweeter than this. Two-time president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won a third presidential term on Sunday in a narrow victory over...
Are young people gradually dropping Labour for the Green Party?
In recent history, a vote for the Green Party has felt almost like an act of protest. As Labour’s stance on social issues become less clear, however, young people are being allured by the underdog’s progressive policies. Is there an end in sight for two-party politics in the UK? While it appears unlikely in the immediate future, as we approach vital climate deadlines, there are signs that the Green Party...
New Jersey to sue oil giants over climate change damages
New Jersey has joined a cohort of seven US states determined to sue giant oil companies for their roles in delaying climate policy, as well as damages related to extreme weather. Around 24 climate liability suits have been making their way through US courts since 2015, and oil giants continue to be targeted regularly. New Jersey has joined the ranks of Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Vermont as the...
Can Rishi Sunak rebuild UK’s green agenda after Truss?
Succeeding the brief tenure of Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak’s appointment as prime minister is seen by several environmental groups as something of an improvement. Can the damage be repaired? Early trepidations about Liz Truss’ tunnel vision approach to boosting the economy (at the expense of the environment) were instantly confirmed upon her appointment. Lasting little more than a month, Truss’ haphazard reign soured years of good relations with environmental pillars...
Google’s failed balloon-based tech utilised to develop laser internet
Google’s plan to bring internet connections to remote regions was a noble one, but its balloon-based project failed to get off the ground. Fortunately, however, that same tech has helped to inspire a more promising avenue involving laser communications and the cloud. Providing remote regions with solid internet connections has been a major ambition within Silicon Valley for years. Attempts thus far, however, have been largely unsuccessful. Up until the project...
Crypto addiction is becoming a serious problem
For most young people, crypto trading is mostly a fun and recreational way of making some extra money. For some though, its lack of regulation and changeable nature can spark a slippery slope to addiction. With cryptocurrency’s rapid and seemingly ceaseless surge onto the mainstream, addictions associated with digital trading are starting to enter the public consciousness. Notorious for their volatility, coins like Ethereum and Bitcoin can lure traders into a...
