Russia passes law banning ‘LGBT propaganda’ among adults
The controversial bill outlaws any promotion of ‘non-traditional sexual relations,’ representing a toughening of an existing 2013 legislation which makes providing information about homosexuality to children a criminal offence. On Thursday, Russia’s parliament approved by 397 votes to none a bill that makes any expression of an LGBTQ+ lifestyle almost...
Current in Change
Opinion – why we should invest in travel by train
If you’re not choosy about the time of day, you can often catch a one hour flight from, say, Edinburgh to London for around £20. In comparison, the same journey via train will normally take around 6 hours, and cost £60 or more. We need to change how we...
Transforming cities into sponges could save us from floods
Urban planning and landscape architect Professor Kongjian Yu has put forward an innovative and eco-friendly option for flood mitigation. It involves transforming our cities into ‘sponges’ to absorb overflowing waterways and prevent threats presented by extreme flooding. Are you ready kids? I can’t hear you… nah I’m just joking. It’s...
Understanding Africa’s Gen Z mental health problem
Gen Z are the most likely group to be affected by mental health problems in Africa. Africa’s failure to adequately respond to the surging mental health crisis is affecting more than 60% of the population. It is saddening that poor mental health is not considered a crisis in Africa, despite many...
Is hemp the answer to combatting climate change?
Research suggests that the fast-growing plant is twice as effective as trees at sequestering carbon, offering a promising solution to mitigating the environmental crisis’ impacts. When mulling over how we’ll ever solve the ongoing environmental crisis, it’s likely your mind will jump to options such as renewable energy, sustainable...
Opinion – Elnaz Rekabi deserves her status as Iranian hero
Despite claims that her missing hijab was an accident, Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi has been greeted by fervent crowds after competing in an international tournament. After she competed at an international climbing tournament without her hijab, concerns were mounting for missing climber Elnaz Rekabi. Those close to Rekabi said they had...
COP27 will give children and youth a platform for the first time
At this year’s COP event in Egypt, young people will finally be given their own platform. The Children and Youth Pavilion will allow young activists to voice their climate concerns and hopefully impact negotiations for the very first time. It’s no secret that some of the most passionate climate activists are young people. Perhaps it’s because policy decision-makers and negotiators are often well above the age of 50 with little to...
Researchers say global oceans need legal protective rights
Following a recent campaign to give rivers, lakes, and forests legal rights, experts now say global oceans must also be afforded legally enforced protection. They argue this is the only way to positively transform our relationship with oceans and prevent total ecosystem collapse. In a new article published in PLOS Biology, experts from the non-profit organisation Earth Law Center argue that humans must foster ‘a higher respect for the Ocean...
Jeff Bezos vows to donate ‘most of his fortune’ to fight climate change
The Amazon founder declared in a recent interview with CNN that he plans to donate most of his wealth to ecological causes. Surely the richest 1% of the population should be mandated to show at COP conferences, no? Maybe that’s just my preference. Jeff Bezos, currently the fourth richest person on the planet - with an estimated net worth of $124bn - plans to become the biggest philanthropist the world...
Everything you need to know post-COP27
The 27th annual UN Climate Summit concluded on Friday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Here’s a roundup of what was achieved, what missed the mark, and the most important points made by the 13 Gen Z activists we held thematic conversations with during the last fortnight. Though COP27 was meant to conclude last Friday, delegates were furiously working on the final decisions well into the weekend. The results...
