Latest Stories from Jamie
NFT platforms tipped to disrupt the music industry
As popular streaming services like Spotify continue to take the lion’s share of revenue away from music artists, NFTs may help them regain control over their enterprises in the near future. In the future, the ability to listen to your favourite artists may depend on you finally wrapping your heads around NFTs. Sorry, but it’s for a good cause. If you keep up with any sort of industry news, you’ll already...
Heatwaves at both Earth’s poles alarm climate researchers
Over the weekend, temperatures at both the Earth’s poles soared to between 30C and 40C higher than expected levels. If this becomes the norm, researchers are seriously concerned about an abrupt climate breakdown. At this time of year, the Antarctic should be rapidly cooling after its summer while the Arctic gradually emerges from its winter months. Instead, both poles are experiencing ‘unprecedented’ heatwaves that have climate researchers on high alert. Over...
Lax US gun laws are massively impacting its island territories
Mainland gun laws are seriously impacting offshore US territories, particularly Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. In both, homicide rates are astronomically high and growing, and the majority of cases are traced back to firearms trafficked from states like Florida and Texas. Despite having relatively strict firearm laws, US territories like Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have far higher gun death rates than any mainland state. How can that...
ClientEarth goes after Shell executives directly with lawsuit
It’s been less than a year since gas giant Shell lost a landmark climate case in the Netherlands, and it’s once again facing serious legal action. This time, however, its company executives are being directly confronted, not the conglomerate. A change of tact is clearly required to get fossil fuel companies to listen. While hidden behind the guise of sprawling multinationals, what better way to remind executives of their personal...
Hacktivists up the ante in ‘cyberwar’ against Russia
Hacktivist groups are continuing to punish Russia with a multi-pronged digital assault. Last week, decentralised groups released some 820GB of sensitive files, crashed the Moscow Stock Exchange website, and hijacked live Russian TV broadcasts. Whether you cheered or rolled your eyes at its declaration of ‘cyberwar,’ the rogue hacker outfit Anonymous has returned to make trouble for Russia. Back in late February, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced the formation...
Twitter’s new ‘Tor’ service can circumvent state internet censorship
In regions where Twitter is partially or completely restricted, a new ‘Tor’ service could soon allow people to circumvent censorship measures. This won’t be well received by certain government figures, but is a big win for online democracy. Twitter claims this move had been in the works since 2014, but the timing seems awful convenient. This week, the social media giant has announced plans to launch a version of Twitter that...
The town welcoming and resettling climate refugees in Bangladesh
Globally, millions are displaced every year by worsening floods, wildfires, heatwaves, and droughts as a result of climate change. In a region where weather is particularly volatile, the Bangladeshi town of Mongla is welcoming refugees. A river town by the name of Mongla, Bangladesh, is not only welcoming climate refugees with open arms, but is looking to reintegrate them into society – not as second-class citizens. According to the Intergovernmental Panel...
Russia’s invasion could hinder a global lithium drive
Prior to Russia’s invasion, Ukraine had been drawing attention from the likes of China and Australia for its vast untapped lithium reserves. Potentially crucial to achieving our clean energy transitions, this sustainable battery drive could begin to peter out. Eastern Europe was tipped to lead the global lithium drive, but it appears foreign nations will have to source their clean energy transitions elsewhere. Ukraine, under President Volodymyr Zelensky, had been positioning...
TikTok suspends video uploads & livestreaming in Russia
If social media platforms spread ‘false information’ about the Russian military, Putin’s newly passed ‘fake news’ law threatens fines and lengthy prison sentences. TikTok has responded by suspending all new video uploads throughout the region. The standoff between Big Tech and Russia is becoming more involved by the week. A widespread social media embargo to prevent the Kremlin state from pushing propaganda or profiting from ad space – involving YouTube...
UN agrees landmark global treaty to end plastic waste
The UN Environmental Assembly has approved a resolution to create the world’s first global plastic pollution treaty by 2024. Described as the ‘most significant green deal’ since the Paris accord of 2015, 175 nations have reportedly opted in. There are a few inevitabilities in modern life; death, taxes, and mountains upon mountains of single-use plastic waste. For the first time this century, however, there’s genuine hope to create a world in...
