UN will use satellites to track down methane gas leaks
At last year’s COP summit, methane was labelled the ‘lowest hanging fruit’ in the race to slow global heating. Now, the UN has announced it will use satellites to locate where methane leaks are and will be publishing the data on a public database. Those clued up on the human-driven...
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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...
Exclusive – COP27’s Finance Day with Oluwaseyi Moejoh
We had the pleasure of speaking with U-Recycle Initiative’s co-founder, Oluwaseyi Moejoh, about one of the most daunting and misunderstood themes of COP27: finance. Oluwaseyi Moejoh is a Nigerian environmentalist and global change-maker who is enthusiastic about sustainability and the protection of the oceans. She is the co-founder of U-Recycle Initiative,...
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...
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...
France officially bans short-haul domestic flights
In a promising turn of events, the European Commission has approved a bill abolishing flights between cities in France. Any journey under 2.5 hours will be scrapped for the next three years, and train travel is being incentivised. It’s taken ages to get here, but finally ink is dry on...
Lab-grown blood cells administered to humans for the first time
In a world-first clinical trial, lab-grown red blood cells have been transfused into humans. If successful, its continuation will bolster supplies for those with rare blood types and improve treatment for people who require regular transfusions. You’ve heard of lab-grown meat, but what about lab-grown human blood? For the very first time, a couple of spoonfuls (5-10ml) of lab-grown blood have been injected into volunteers participating in the RESTORE randomised controlled...
How will nations at COP27 discuss climate change recovery funding?
Funding for loss and damage will take centre stage at COP27, the UN Climate Change Conference. In the past year, catastrophic flooding overwhelmed both Pakistan and Nigeria, wildfires scorched dozens of countries, and extreme heat waves blanketed large parts of the planet. These events killed thousands of people, destroyed essential infrastructure, and destabilized entire economic sectors. In many cases, the costs of recovering and rebuilding from these disasters far exceed the financial capacity of governments, which both...
New strategy for tackling homelessness trialling in UK
After notable success in the US and Europe, a surprisingly simple model for getting rough sleepers into safe housing is being tested in the UK. The approach was put forward by a psychologist in the 90s but has taken two decades to be implemented. According to Occam’s Razor, the most obvious answer is usually the correct one. Applying this to the homelessness crisis, the clearest solution would be to provide...
Eleven actions you can take today to impact COP27
You can speak up to urge world leaders at COP27 to take the urgent climate action we need to see. If “big, nebulous, and dry” sum up your thoughts on COP27, you’re not alone. Like a lot of political summits, conferences, and round-tables, the UN Climate Change Conference — taking place this year from Nov. 6 to Nov. 18 in Egypt — can seem impenetrable. While leaders deliberate on the actions they’ll...
