Latest Stories from Jessica
Switzerland’s warm spring triggers new climate law referendum
After experiencing record-breaking warm temperatures this spring, over 200 scientists urged the Swiss government to hold a referendum for a new climate law. If successful, it will trigger a national move towards reaching net zero by 2050. On the 18th of June, Swiss citizens will vote on an important new law regarding the country’s Climate Protection Targets, as well as its Innovation and Strengthening Energy Security Act. Known together as...
Utrecht’s newest apartment block will become a vertical forest
The Dutch city of Utrecht is getting a new apartment building covered in 10,000 plants and trees. It will emit 41 tons of oxygen annually once it is completed in 2024. In imagined depictions of a utopian future, it’s very often that we see views of cities full of buildings dotted with greenery. As the climate crisis worsens and urbanisation continues to expand over the coming decades, there is no...
Panama gives sea turtles legal rights and protection
A new law has been set out to protect endangered sea turtles in Panama. The hope is that neighbouring countries will follow suit in granting them a right to a healthy environment that is free from poaching activity. Panama has just taken ‘I like turtles’ to a whole new level. The country has set out new laws to give its abundant sea turtle population the right to live and have free...
Should we pay people a daily rate to protect the environment?
A conservation basic income (CBI) should be awarded to those living in fragile forests and regions of biodiversity, a new study says. Researchers believe it would incentivise communities to halt activity that causes environmental degradation. We all know that money makes the world go round. Well, kind of. We depend on it for survival, and as a result, we’re constantly looking for ways to make our next dollar, pound, euro, yen...
Homeless families forced out of hotels due to Beyoncé tour
A number of families put up in a hotel by Enfield Council have been forced out due to increased demands for accommodation during Beyoncé’s musical tour. The council says it waited too late to renew their stay. Up to thirty homeless families will be forced out of temporary hotel accommodation due to a surge in demand for bookings ahead of Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour in the UK. Enfield Council, which has been...
New York becomes latest city to be slowly sinking
Apparently, New York City is slowly sinking under its own weight. But given that the climate crisis is causing sea levels to rise and coastal erosion to worsen all while urban development increases, should we be surprised? Over the weekend, news broke that New York City is sinking under the weight of its many buildings. The average rate of its descent is between 2 - 4 millimetres every year, with...
The UN releases new roadmap to halting plastic pollution
The United Nations has published a new report which states that ending plastic production could save the planet £3.6 trillion in under two decades. Its four-point approach aims to reduce the health and environmental problems stemming from plastic use. Though plastic is a cheap and versatile material, its widespread use over the last 70 years has come at the high cost of degrading our natural environment – and our own...
Greenpeace ranks European countries’ private jet activity
We’re well-accustomed to hearing about American billionaire celebrities and their carbon-spewing private jets lately, but which European countries are facilitating the most private jet departures? Greenpeace investigates. You might think that because the general public now knows how emission-heavy private jets are, those privileged enough to charter them would be guilt-tripped into cutting back on their dirty habit. Wrong. Analysis conducted by Greenpeace identified a 64 percent increase in private jet...
Limits on blood donations from gay and bisexual men eased by FDA
The Food and Drug Administration has announced it will not lift its total ban on gay and bisexual men from giving blood donations in the US. The policy, which has been in place for more than 30 years, has been altered after being deemed discriminatory. Each year, around 110 million blood donations are collected across the world. Despite this seemingly large number, hospitals almost always have a shortage of stock. This is...
Paris’ River Seine will soon be safe to swim in once again
After a century-long ban, Paris authorities have announced that the River Seine will be clean enough to swim in by the end of the year. At least two 2024 Olympic swimming races will be held in the river. How did the city clean up its act? I will never forget the horror of hearing the sound of a huge splash while working during a summer heatwave in Amsterdam. Our offices’ upstairs...
