Latest Stories from Jessica
How rich nations have trapped poorer countries into fossil fuel use
The campaign group Debt Justice says rich nations have forced poorer countries into moving past fossil fuels as they struggle to pay back national debts. Its members call for debt forgiveness, which will allow the Global South to begin advancing towards sustainable energy. As the global consequences of fossil fuel driven climate change become more evident year on year, many nations are now seriously assessing their options when it comes...
European nations consider adopting siestas to cope with heatwaves
Spain has long been famous for its siestas. In the face of higher global temperatures and increasing heatwaves, other European countries are considering adopting them. Brutal heatwaves have been at the centre of European summer experiences in recent years. As they continue to arrive with increasing intensity, it's time for nations to consider different strategies to cope. One solution that has already proven effective in several countries is the siesta...
Young people are using TikTok to organise flashmob looting
Last week, chaos erupted on one of central London’s most popular shopping streets. Large groups of young people gathered together to loot shops in an event organised and promoted in viral videos on TikTok. While viral social media content has frequently resulted in positive collective action amongst the public, it can also be used to incite social disorder, violence, and crime. That truth became evident in central London last week...
America’s first ever climate lawsuit is won by young people
In a US-first, a group of sixteen young people took their state’s government to court over the climate crisis. They filed a lawsuit against local officials, whom they accused of violating their constitutional right to a healthy environment – and won. At Thred, we know young people are the voice of change. That statement continued to ring truer as a group of sixteen young people led America’s first-ever court case...
Biden greenlights $1.2 billion for two carbon-capture tech firms
The Biden administration has announced a tremendous investment into regional hubs that use technology to suck carbon out of the atmosphere and store it. Why are most scientists and environmentalists already calling it a failed plan? Carbon capture, storage, and removal are processes that have been carried out by forests, oceans, and wild animals for millions of years. Their natural services were enough to keep our planet in a...
FIFA 23 update includes Moroccan player wearing her hijab
During this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, the 25-year-old Moroccan football player Nouhaila Benzina made history by becoming the first woman to wear a hijab while playing a World Cup match. Now, FIFA23 is honouring her. The Moroccan footballer Nouhaila Benzina has been an important figure in the movement for inclusivity and representation in sport, particularly for Muslim women. So it’s only right that she became the one to make history...
Is the US justice system ‘making an example’ of Tory Lanez?
Canadian rapper Tory Lanez has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting fellow music artist Megan thee Stallion back in 2020. His lawyer believes the justice system has unfairly charged him due to his celebrity status. It’s safe to say that our personal lives were pretty stagnant in the year 2020, so when news broke that Tory Lanez had shot fellow rapper Megan thee Stallion at a...
Dorset barge set to house asylum-seekers divides the public
The UK’s plan to house asylum seekers on a barge in Dorset has sparked a debate about the human rights of migrants. While the government has proposed it as a positive and temporary solution, others believe it could leave those housed there worse off. The UK’s plan to use a barge as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers has resulted in mixed reactions from human rights advocates, politicians, and the general...
Why we should all be reading more books
Scientists are constantly investigating the impact that reading has on the human brain. As it turns out, brain activity widely varies when you compare reading to watching television. After a long day at work, tucking into a book – no matter how good – is likely the last thing your brain wants to do. With numerous streaming services beaming from your television and Instagram prompting you to ‘watch some of...
Refactory tackles the complicated issue of cosmetic packaging
A UK-based firm is focusing on giving a second life to the most difficult-to-recycle items we throw away every day. Packaging used for health and beauty products are extremely difficult to recycle, mainly because they are comprised of various different materials. This is a problem, considering we throw away around 100 billion of these items each year, but the companies who produce them are also guilty of discarding entire pallets...
