Mercy Corps and partners are transforming the lives of young girls
In the arid and semi-arid landscapes of Northern Kenya, where challenges like drought, poverty, and limited access to education disproportionately affect young girls, Mercy Corps and partners has taken a bold step towards transforming lives through its Girls Improving Resilience through Livelihoods (GIRL) program. I recently visited Northern Kenya, a...
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Research says tobacco companies hooked the US onto junk food
Research carried out by the University of Kansas has revealed that tobacco companies were a key influence in the commercial explosion of junk food between 1988 and 2001. Responsible for roughly eight million cigarette-related deaths a year, and the recent mainstream pivot to the abomination that is the single-use vape,...
EU to crack down on advertisers making false green claims
To protect increasingly climate-conscious consumers from being misled, the proposed directive will ban generic statements including ‘eco,’ ‘environmentally-friendly,’ ‘carbon neutral,’ and ‘natural’ from being made without evidence. More than ever, we’re seeing brands claiming to be sustainability-orientated in an effort to attract climate-conscious consumers. So much so, in fact, that words...
The G20 poured $1trn into fossil fuel subsidies last year
After failing to reach a consensus on phasing down fossil fuels last month, it has since been revealed that the G20 poured $1trn into fossil fuel subsidies in 2022. It’s all starting to make sense. Last month, a crunch G20 meeting took place in India in which the world’s wealthiest nations...
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...
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...
MIT engineers develop new energy-storing concrete
Engineers at MIT have developed a potentially revolutionary type of concrete able to store energy. Here’s how this could become an affordable boon for the inevitable renewable revolution. Imagine a future where the solar panels on our roofs generate energy which is then stored in the walls and foundations of our homes. It may sound far-fetched, but this is an increasingly realistic prospect thanks to a recent breakthrough at MIT....
NASA’s new nuclear rockets could cut Mars journey in half
Getting to Mars typically takes more than half a year, but that time could be shortened by NASA’s upcoming nuclear-powered rocket project. It’s been a big month for the physics lovers out there, with Oppenheimer making its debut in cinema and NASA announcing plans to test the launch of a nuclear rocket in space. On Wednesday, the team announced that it would be collaborating with the Defence Advanced Research Projects...
4ocean cleans up record-breaking 30 million pounds of ocean plastic
4ocean has set the world record for most trash collected from our oceans by a single organisation – a whopping 30 million pounds and counting. To celebrate this achievement, let’s take a detailed look at the organisation's journey. You’d be hard pressed to find a beach that doesn’t have various sized pieces of plastic littering its shorelines these days, but one amazing organisation is on a mission to make...
Exclusive – How Tap Social is helping prison rehabilitation
Tap Social is a unique and thriving social enterprise in the heart of Oxford, combining craft beer with prison rehabilitation. Walking into the Market Tap, you would not have guessed that this warm and lively venue opened just two months earlier. Located in the centre of Oxford’s Covered Market, Tap’s newest site is a constant current of tourists and locals checking out the craft beers and freshly baked goods. Staff and customers...