Latest Stories from Jessica
Japanese scientists find microplastics in Earth’s clouds
Tiny particles of plastic have been found in clouds for the first time. Scientists in Japan say their presence risks exacerbating climate change and contaminating ‘everything we eat and drink’. Is nowhere on Earth sacred anymore? Nope, not even the clouds above us. When surveying cloud water near Mount Fuji and Mount Oyama, scientists found the presence of several types of polymers and rubber. Published in the journal Environmental Chemical Letters,...
The ‘Future Library’ is humanity’s sustainable literary time capsule
In 2014, a project was set underway to plant one thousand tree saplings in Norway. Their destiny? To be turned into books a century from now, as part of the Future Library project. When you imagine what the world will look like one hundred years from now, you probably don’t think about which books humans will be reading. Perhaps after reading this, you will. Deep in Norway’s Nordmarka forest sits...
The benefits and challenges of pedestrianizing Central London
Around the world, people are expressing the desire to live in a ‘walkable city’. Let’s look at some of the challenges of pedestrianizing inner-city streets, with London as an example, as well as some of the challenges to doing so. Whether or not a city is walkable greatly impacts the quality of life of those who live there. While many cities in the US are lagging behind on this feature,...
Ulta Beauty launches new project to help silence our inner critic
After hearing that its sales associates felt ‘like therapists’ while working the shop floor, the US beauty supplier has set out on a mission to help its customers embrace their inner joy by eradicating negative self-talk. Upon stepping inside a beauty store, customers are greeted by an array of products that promise eternally youthful skin, a luscious head of hair, and the ability to smell like a freshly plucked Madagascan...
Could preserving remote work options help society reach net zero?
As the pandemic becomes a distant memory, remote work is starting to dwindle – especially in the corporate world. A new study warns against this backward trend, pointing to work-from-home options as a viable strategy for minimising our carbon footprint. Throughout the global pandemic, millions of people were forced to start doing their jobs from their home desks or kitchen tables. It wasn’t easy at first. We had to learn...
Cost of living overtakes environmental concerns among children
A new survey suggests that one in ten children aged 10-17 are unhappy with their lives due to worries about rising prices and their families having enough money to survive. The kids are not alright! According to a new survey conducted by the Children’s Society, more than 2 million children in the UK are finding that money worries are surpassing their concerns about the environment. This is a stark change...
Rishi Sunak plans to delay ‘barely there’ net zero policies
The UK’s prime minister has come under intense scrutiny for cancelling trivial net zero policies that weren’t even in place to begin with. Ahead of the UK’s next general election, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a radical U-turn on his government’s green policies – which many argue barely existed in the first place. Sunak said he would delay the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars...
New report says fast fashion’s value is on a steady decline
According to the latest Brand Finance Apparel 50 report, the value of fast fashion giants such as H&M and Zara is decreasing as sustainability and innovation become the key drivers of consumer choices. Though it may not seem like it if your Instagram is full of influencers flaunting SHEIN hauls, the fast fashion market is losing its value – at least according to a new report by Brand Finance. Released...
Could CRISPR save us from a future of food scarcity?
Scientists are hopeful that the gene-editing technology could help ease food insecurity as climate change continues to threaten crop yields and worsen global food insecurity on a planet with a growing human population. Feeding a population of more than 8 billion people in a world stricken by an unpredictable climate will be a challenge we are forced to face in the near future. Looking for solutions to this incoming problem,...
Catastrophic flooding is occurring in ten countries simultaneously
Storms of unprecedented strength and ferocity have cropped up unexpectedly around the world. Though countries in conflict and poverty have been the hardest hit by these events, climate scientists have warned that ‘nowhere is immune.’ For those looking for a positive news story to start the week, I apologise in advance. This article will not be your tonic. While it certainly seems that there’s enough doom and gloom in the world...
