Latest Stories from Jessica
The Netherlands offers free-to-use sunscreen as temperatures rise
At popular leisure spots in The Netherlands, free sunscreen stations will be available to locals and visitors as they head outdoors for one of the hottest summers on record. The goal is to reduce cases of melanoma, the most common form of cancer amongst the Dutch. As Europe prepares for one of its hottest summer on record, finding ways to protect ourselves from the sun and its strong rays will...
Do ad agencies need to disclose the use of AI in online campaigns?
As AI photo creation tools like Midjourney become more advanced and widely used, the world’s largest advertising agency Ogilvy is encouraging marketing companies to explicitly state when they are used in social media campaigns. The advent and rapidly improving capabilities of AI image generators such as Midjourney have sparked both excitement and debate in the online world. On Instagram, digital novices have opened accounts to share their imaginative experiments with...
L’Oréal’s latest investment is a huge boost for sustainable beauty
The beauty corporation has made a new investment in a biotech company called Debut through its corporate venture arm called BOLD. It is betting on the future of Debut’s lab, which is reportedly creating next-generation of sustainable cosmetic ingredients. In 2018, the century-old beauty giant L’Oréal announced the launch of its corporate venture capital fund BOLD. An acronym for ‘Business Opportunities for L’Oréal Development’, the corporate arm was created specifically...
What does the Global Plastics Treaty mean for the fashion industry?
With 175 nations agreeing to sign the treaty by the end of 2024, the global plastic industry will soon be changed forever. How this will impact the fashion sector, which relies heavily on fossil fuel-based materials to generate cheap clothing products? Regardless of how convenient it is to keep using plastics, we need to give them up or face a planet that remains polluted and becomes even worse for generations...
Glastonbury Festival is getting a pink and purple wind turbine
Octopus Energy and Glastonbury Festival have teamed up to install a pink and purple 28-metre wind turbine in order to make this year’s Glastonbury the greenest yet. Glastonbury Festival’s ‘biggest fan’ will be in attendance this year, and no, we’re not talking about Lilly Allen or Stormzy. Thanks to a collaboration with Octopus Energy, a 20-metre wind turbine with 8-metre-long blades will tower over thousands of festival-goers as they party for...
Global economic inequality is the lowest it’s been in 150 years
After examining new data, a renowned inequality researcher for Foreign Affairs magazine has declared that global economic inequality is lower than it’s been in 150 years. What can a closer look at the findings tell us about the future? ‘The rich are getting richer, while the poor are getting poorer.’ This phrase is one we’re heard uttered time and time again, but how true is it in 2023? According to...
Afri-Plastics Challenge grants £4.1 million to innovative winners
Nine winners of the Afri-Plastic Challenge have shared a prize pot of £4.1 million for their innovations aimed at reducing plastic waste and pollution in sub-Saharan Africa. Our global plastic problem shows no signs of stopping. Scientists have estimated that by 2050, humans will generate a massive 34 billion tons of plastic waste annually if we do not slow our current rate of production. More than half of this waste will...
Climate scientists warn Arctic Ocean could be ice-free by 2030
Even with our most concerted efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, climate scientists say Arctic ice sheets could melt completely by 2030. This is far earlier than anyone had previously thought possible. Over the last few decades, the year-round survival of large ice sheets in the Arctic has been a universal reference point for how severe global warming has become. Many scientists believe that a complete disappearance of sea ice at...
Tracking environmental progress on World Oceans Day
For World Oceans Day, we are rounding up significant milestones from the last year that are dedicated to caring for and protecting our planet’s oceans and seas. 70% of our planet's surface consists of oceans. It makes sense, then, that the survival of undersea ecosystems and the myriad of incredible species that live in and around them is crucial to the health of all living beings on Earth. Our oceans play a...
Study finds a key ingredient in sweetener damages DNA
Artificial sweeteners – made from sucralose – have been sold as a guilt-free alternative to real sugar, offering maximum flavour with little to no calories involved. New research is uncovering the true cost of this man-made ingredient. When zero-calorie sweeteners like Splenda first hit the market in 2004, they were met with equal parts enthusiasm and scepticism from consumers and nutritionists alike. Those looking to sweeten up their morning coffee were...
