Air pollution linked to an increased risk of mental illness
According to a new study, people living in polluted areas with long-term exposure to even comparatively low levels of poor air quality are more likely to develop depression and anxiety. Though most people would associate air pollution with the lungs, a new study has highlighted the impact it can...
Current in Change
Understanding the pain behind the ‘husband stitch’
When a woman gives birth, stitches are sometimes needed. Some doctors have given them an extra stitch to the vagina to make it ‘tighter’ for their male partners – in exchange for unwarranted consequences. After almost five years of struggling with infertility, Stefani was finally pregnant with her first child....
‘Holy grail’ wheat gene could make heat resistant crops
How humanity is to continue growing wheat in centuries to come has long been agriculture’s million-dollar question, but UK scientists have finally developed a crop gene reportedly resistant to a warming world. Remember Interstellar, where a global wheat blight forced Mathew McConachie to scour neighbouring galaxies in search of habitable...
Is ‘weather whiplash’ yet another symptom of climate change?
Once a colloquial phrase used to describe surprising, rapid shifts in weather conditions, ‘weather whiplash’ is being continuously validated by climate change studies and is reportedly getting worse. We all misjudge the weather from time to time, but what we’re talking about here is far more dramatic than mistakenly opting to...
Devon Henry dismantles nearly 100 Confederate statues in America
After white contractors refused the task of removing Confederate statues from Devon Henry’s hometown, he took matters into his own hands. This was the start of his journey towards dismantling over 70 statues commemorating America’s colonial era. In almost every city or town, you will find at least one statue...
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...
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 of dismissal by both male and female physicians remain rife. This issue is known as the gender health gap, whereby women...
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 country’s recent history. Upon his victory, the long-time legislator and former fighter in the M-19 militia promised voters profound social and...
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 early in the year, but a squeamish attitude is probably what landed us here in the first place. Cemeteries throughout England...
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 agreement was eventually established in principle at the conference, though a sum was never actually put in writing. Months later,...
