Preventing pandemics would cost 5% of the damage they inflict
Every year, the world loses approximately $500bn due to economic fallouts spurred by zoonotic diseases. The cost of preventing them in the future, according to a recent report, could be just $20bn. Though Covid-19 has obviously taken a huge toll on the world, claiming more than 5 million lives and...
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WWF report calls for an urgent plan to decarbonise farming
British farmers must reduce their production of meat and dairy by a third in the next decade if scientific advice on limiting greenhouse gas emissions is to be met. A major report by the World Wide Fund for Nature has said that farming needs to be at the forefront...
Sudan’s prime minister resigns amid mass protests over military dictatorship
January 1st 2022 marked 66 years of Sudan’s independence. The following day, prime minister Abdalla Hamdok resigned - leaving the military in full control. On Sunday 2nd January, prime minister Abdalla Hamdok announced his resignation as the head of the civilian government. In an evening televised address, Mr. Hamdok said, ‘I...
What could a global tax on those with $5m wealth pay for?
Globally, there are 3.6 million people that have accumulated more than $5m in wealth – more than 2,600 of them being billionaires. If there were an annual tax on these individuals, here’s what it could pay for. How’s vaccinating the entire planet, for starters? Global wealth distribution is up there...
UK football is facing calls to tackle gender-based violence
Two of the sport’s most powerful bodies have received an open letter urging them to take action after numerous high-profile players have been arrested for domestic and sexual abuse. In January, Manchester United’s Mason Greenwood was arrested on suspicion of rape, sexual assault, and making threats to kill after allegations...
An extra $3.5 trillion a year is the price tag for a net zero transition
Grandiose ambitions of transitioning to net zero economies within the next decade are nothing without serious real-life investment. Now, thanks to a recent report from McKinsey & Company, we know roughly what that sum equates to. Unfortunately, decarbonising entire industries isn’t quite as simple as offering up renewable alternatives and...
Chemical pollution reportedly passes safe limit for humanity
A study on Earth’s cocktail of chemicals suggests pollution levels are threatening the stability of ecosystems on which life physically depends. Fear mongering really isn’t our thing, but we would be remiss not to bring you the unfiltered facts. Though it can’t be verified officially, researchers have reason to believe humanity has now likely breached planetary boundaries of chemical damage – the point at which natural ecosystems stop functioning as they...
BSL to become a legally recognised language in the UK
The UK government has backed a bill to make BSL a legally recognised language, a move that the British Deaf Association says will give deaf people equal access to education and public services. A bill that would make British Sign Language (BSL) a legally recognised language in the UK and help deaf people play a more prominent role in society has received government backing. The proposed law was...
Why is Indonesia relocating its capital?
The country’s parliament has just passed a law to move the national capital from Jakarta to the planned city of Nusantara by 2024. One of the world’s most populated urban regions, Jakarta, is home to more than 10 million people, with an estimated 30 million more in the greater metropolitan area. Tragically, it’s also among the fastest sinking cities on the planet, sitting on swampy ground near the ocean making it...
UK healthcare is officially failing women
A newly published report has revealed the extent of the nation’s gender health gap, requiring the government to finally acknowledge that sexism is ingrained within the UK’s healthcare systems.
While women’s health has undergone a generational culture shift in recent years, prompting more open discourse around historically stigmatised concerns regarding our wombs, tales of dismissal by both male and female physicians remain rife.
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