DRC auctions off vast quantities of its carbon sink
The country’s government has just moved to sell a substantial amount of critical tropical peatlands and rainforests for oil and gas drilling, mere months after promising to preserve them at COP26. Licensing rights for 30 oil and gas blocks in the Democratic Republic of Congo have gone up for...
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Denmark to build world’s first ‘energy island’
Denmark is set on building the world’s first energy island, which will be the size of 18 football pitches. Denmark has a history of being a global leader in renewable energy. In 1991, they built the first offshore wind farm, and currently 48.6% of the energy produced by the country...
African climate youth activists gather ahead of COP27
Kenya hosts hundreds of youth climate activists from Africa for the second edition of Nairobi Summer School on Climate Justice, a platform headed by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA). Young African climate change activists have been given an opportunity to voice their concerns ahead of Egypt’s COP27 in...
Why are calls for book bans on the rise in America?
Book bans aren’t new, but the last year has seen over one thousand books discussing sexuality, gender, race, and racism challenged in America. What do we stand to lose when certain narratives are blocked from view? To learn to read is to light a fire, said Victor Hugo, author of...
British women face new threats to their bodily autonomy
Fears have been raised over the UK government’s quiet removal of commitments to abortion and sexual health rights from an international pact on freedom of belief and gender equality. In the aftermath of reproductive rights being rolled back in the US, activists in the UK have raised fears over the...
How climate change is causing floods in North East India
Every year, the state of Assam in India witnesses floods. But this year, things are much worse as more than 120 people have died. So, what is causing these floods and what is being done to save the people of Assam? It probably wouldn’t come as a surprise to you...
Opinion – Clarence Thomas proves Roe v Wade impacts everyone
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, Justice Clarence Thomas’ comments on LGBTQ+ rights suggest a war on civil liberty is just beginning in America. In the next 30 days, 13 states will ban abortion in the US. Since the Supreme Court announced its decision to overturn Roe v Wade – the 1973 ruling that made abortion legal nationwide – Missouri has already made...
New spray-on coating could replace plastic food wrapping
Researchers at Harvard and Rutgers have developed a new plant-based antimicrobial coating to protect food. It has the potential to replace single-use plastic wrappers. As anybody who eats on-the-go knows, plastic wrapping and single-use packaging is a major environmental waste problem. We throw away tons of cardboard and plastic every year, all in the name of convenience food. If we’re to meaningfully reduce our emissions and use of traditional packaging,...
What does a summer of heatwaves say about our climate?
From India to Europe and more, climate change is driving increasingly intense and damaging heatwaves as humans struggle to adapt. The world has been feeling the heat in 2022. India and Pakistan experienced their hottest March on record this year, exposing many to power and water shortages. Europe, meanwhile, is only just emerging from an unprecedented heatwave, with forecast models indicating any relief will only be temporary across the Iberian Peninsula. In...
Are past-focused approaches to therapy getting it wrong?
Traditional approaches to therapy tend to focus on unpacking difficult experiences from the past. Could incorporating a mindful, future-focused method be more practical? If you’ve ever been to therapy, you’ve probably been encouraged to tell your story and to ‘start from the beginning’. Our life experiences shape who we are, making past-focused counselling helpful for identifying the root of certain negative behaviours, thought patterns, and habits. But many people enter therapy because...
