Royal Opera House cuts ties with BP
Following pressure from climate activists, the arts venue has become the latest cultural institution to sever its sponsorship relationship with an oil and gas giant. This week, BP and the Royal Opera House announced that they had not extended their partnership deal beyond December 2022, when their most recent contract...
Current in Change
UK government denies calls for ‘menopause leave’
Proposals to change British legislation to protect the rights of women experiencing menopause have been dismissed due to fears such a move would discriminate against men. 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...
Could Colombia be the first oil-rich country to ditch fossil fuels?
The South American nation’s left-wing government has announced it will not approve any new oil and gas exploration projects as it seeks to shift towards a more sustainable economy. In June last year, ex-rebel Gustavo Petro won Colombia’s presidential election after one of the most contested campaigns in the...
UK authorities want to reuse graves as burial space diminishes
Laws in effect since Victorian times are causing UK funeral authorities problems as burial space runs low. Some have requested to reuse old graves and policy reviews are ongoing. Does the New Year make anyone else think of death? Just me then… okay. We apologise for such a morbid topic so...
Banks & countries pledge $10bn to rebuild Pakistan after floods
A recovery fund of $10bn has been amassed by an international community of countries and banks to rebuild Pakistan following last summer’s devastating floods. Amassing essential funds to help developing countries adapt to the impacts of climate change became one of the most contentious issues of COP27. A loss and damage...
Understanding the neglect in Nigeria’s floating slum Makoko
Makoko, the world’s largest floating slum, is located on the Lagos Lagoon in Nigeria. It has a population of over 200,000 people living in precarious conditions, with limited access to basic amenities such as education, clean water, sanitation, healthcare, and electricity. Makoko slum has been a fishing village for decades...
How Cameroon has been ruled by one President for forty years
For four decades, Cameroon has been ruled by one party. More than 65% of its population have never known any other. President Paul Biya’s regime has led to widespread instability in Cameroon. Cameroon has been ruled by 89-year-old President Paul Biya for over 40 years. He is the oldest and second-longest serving head of state in Africa. The country has had only two presidents since gaining its independence from France in...
Is animal agriculture on the verge of change?
Recent calls for more awareness about the cruelty behind livestock exportation in addition to a proposed law obliging farmers to address the environmental impact of meat and dairy production indicates a shift may finally be afoot. 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...
Taliban prohibits women from working for NGOs
Jeopardising aid efforts, the ban on female employees is the fundamentalist group’s latest move to curtail their freedoms in Afghanistan. In 2021, the world watched in horror as the Taliban, taking advantage of America’s withdrawal from the region, seized power in Afghanistan. Triggering concerns that this would signify the country’s return to its repressive past, one entirely absent of basic women’s rights, female citizens began to once again dread confinement indoors,...
Report reveals Amazon’s plastic use rose astronomically last year
The largest retailer on the planet ships out 7.7 billion packages annually. How it chooses to wrap these items has serious consequences for the natural world – including humans. Have you ever ordered a small item from Amazon and been shocked by the size of the parcel that arrived? You’re not the only one. Amazon is notorious for using unnecessary packaging when shipping items. According to a new report, its global...
