British Sign Language will now be taught as a GCSE subject
The introduction of BSL to the UK education system is a vital step towards a more inclusive society. After a 12-week consultation with the deaf and hearing communities, the Department of Education has announced that British Sign Language (BSL) will be introduced as a GCSE option from September 2025. The government’s...
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Drug consumption rooms could save thousands of British lives
The world’s largest review of drug consumption rooms reveals that they are integral to harm-reduction and could slash the transmission of fatal diseases. In addition, they may help reduce pressure on ambulance callouts and the burden on UK hospitals. Data published by the Office for National Statistics shows that...
Climate change is impacting babies’ birth weight
According to a new study, exposure to cold or heat stress, particularly in the latter stages of pregnancy, leads to children being too large or too small for their gestational age. Last year was the hottest on record by an enormous margin, with the Earth 1.48°C warmer than pre-industrial...
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an ecological disaster
According to new research, the planet-warming emissions generated during the first two months of the war in Gaza were greater than the annual carbon footprint of more than 20 of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations. It’s no secret that war is bad for the environment, with toxic chemicals left polluting...
KCLSU officers suspended for advocating against Gaza genocide
On November 27th, three officers of the King’s College London Students’ Union released a statement condemning the silence on Israeli military actions and advocating for solidarity with Gaza's victims. The officers were subsequently suspended, raising concerns about dissent suppression. ‘This temporary reprieve from Israeli military actions has led us to...
2023 exposed a ‘global postcode lottery stacked against the poor’
An analysis of this year’s top 20 costliest extreme natural disasters has revealed that countries less able to rebuild or which have contributed least to the climate crisis suffer the worst. According to Christian Aid, there exists a ‘global postcode lottery stacked against the poor.’ This refers to the price that...
UN says a ‘demitarian’ diet is better for the planet than veganism
In a recent study, researchers found that halving meat and dairy consumption could have a greater impact on cutting nitrogen pollution than foregoing animal products altogether. Last year, it was revealed that the agriculture industry is responsible for about a quarter of our total greenhouse gas emissions, the main contributor being livestock and fisheries. Yet although the drastic environmental impact of meat and dairy production has been at the forefront of...
COP28 moves to protect the natural world: historic or not enough?
While conservation groups have praised the inclusion of biodiversity and a 2030 global deforestation goal in the UAE consensus that emerged from this year’s summit, concerns remain. Last December, delegates from almost 200 nations at the ‘last chance’ COP15 conference in Montreal reached a ‘historic’ deal to halt biodiversity loss. Pledging that at least 30% of the world’s land, inland waters, coastal areas, and oceans would come under conservation by 2030,...
What are nanoplastics and why have scientists sounded the alarm?
A potentially much more nefarious and less understood threat than microplastics has health experts concerned after scientists uncovered a link between tiny particles of polyester and changes in brain proteins associated with Parkinson’s disease and certain types of dementia. Just when you thought our plastic pollution problem couldn’t get any worse, scientists have uncovered evidence that nanoplastics – which are tiny but ubiquitous particles of polyester – may potentially be...
Pledges to loss and damage fund fall short at COP28
The wealthy countries most responsible for the climate crisis have so far contributed a combined total of just over $700m. This is nowhere near enough to help the world’s most vulnerable nations cope with the damage caused by slow onset disasters and extreme weather events. Day one of COP28 saw the first big breakthrough: an agreement on a ‘loss and damage’ fund to compensate poor states for...
