Tobacco companies to be billed for clean-up of cigarette waste
Under new environmental regulations in Spain and Ireland, they will be forced to pay for part of the costs associated with ridding the streets of the millions of butts smokers discard annually. In June, the World Health Organisation released a comprehensive report outlining the destructive effects of the tobacco...
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Climate impact labels are encouraging people to eat less meat
According to a new study, information on food packaging that indicates the level of planet-heating gases emitted during production can persuade consumers against carbon-heavy meal options. Of the many things we can do to reduce our carbon footprints, switching to a plant-based diet is pretty high up in terms of...
31 children have been found working in US meatpacking plants
Packers Sanitation Services Inc. has been accused of ‘oppressive child labour’ after children ages 13-17 were found cleaning warehouses overnight. The US Labor Department has sought an injunction against Packers Sanitation Services Inc. after 31 young children were found cleaning meatpacking plants across the Midwest. Officials say the children were...
How e-waste is a hidden cause of climate change
As world leaders met to discuss the issue of unmanaged waste at COP27, Nokia phones wanted to shed light on the problem of e-waste and how to tackle it. As a group of landscapers were preparing a park in West London for a community space, they stumbled across an old...
Delegates at COP15 reach ‘historic’ deal to halt biodiversity loss
Nations have committed to protecting a third of the planet for nature by 2030 in a ground-breaking agreement aimed at reversing decades of environmental destruction. After four years of negotiations, repeated delays due to the pandemic, and a plenary that began on Sunday evening and lasted for more than seven...
HSBC will no longer fund new oil and gas fields
After facing criticism over its climate change policies from shareholders and environmental activists, the bank has announced it will cut direct financing to fossil fuel projects it isn’t already involved with. Part of its policy to support a net-zero transition, HSBC has announced it will stop funding new oil and...
Exclusive – COP 27’s Decarbonisation Day with Michael Backlund
We spoke to Climate Science president and climate and peace activist Michael Backlund about COP27, decarbonisation, and how young people can get involved in fighting against the climate emergency. Friday of COP27’s first week was officially ‘Decarbonisation Day’, where leaders and attendees will discuss various technologies and campaigns to lower the carbon levels in our atmosphere, as well as examine our transition into a low carbon economy. To get a...
Exclusive – COP27’s Science Day with Ann Makosinski
We spoke to inventor and public speaker Ann Makosinski about science, climate change, and how COP27 can help young people to get their voices heard. We’re back with another exclusive chat with Ann Makosinski, the inventor and public speaker from Canada. In 2013 she won the Google Science Fair with a novel flashlight that uses Peltier tiles to transform human thermal energy into light. She also created the eDrink, a...
Indonesia passes legislation outlawing sex outside marriage
Indonesia’s parliament has approved a controversial new criminal code that bans both locals and foreigners from extramarital sex. Critics view the move as a ‘disaster’ for human rights, and a potential blow to the country's booming tourism sector. Following years of parliamentary discussions and heated public debate, Indonesia has just passed a controversial new criminal code that critics say is a dramatic setback to freedoms in the world’s third-largest democracy. Under...
What issues will world leaders be focusing on at COP27?
COP27 is kicking off in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, and will be continuing for the next two weeks. What will the summit address since COP26, and what should world leaders focus on? We spoke to Youthtopia’s Melati Wijsen to find out. We’re back. It’s another year of COP, this time in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. World leaders will need to discuss pledges, goals, IPCC reports, the ever-growing natural disasters occurring...
