Afghanistan’s opioid crisis is only getting worse
Years of persistent poverty and war have turned thousands of Afghan men to drug use. Addiction has been fuelled by the country’s prolific poppy industry. Now, under Taliban rule, the crisis shows no signs of improving. Ebraham Noroozi’s recent look at Afghanistan’s drug crisis paints a morbid picture. Men dying...
Current in Change
Brain-computer interfaces are no longer a thing of science fiction
Endovascular BCI company Synchron has implanted its device in a US patient for the first time, bringing the ground-breaking technology a noteworthy step closer to distribution. With our reality feeling more and more like Black Mirror incarnate every day, it’s not often that I’m taken aback by news of...
California beach returned to Black owners’ family in landmark move
Los Angeles County Officials have returned the deed of Manhattan Beach to the property owners’ great-grandson almost 100 years after it was stolen in a racially motivated seizure. Bruce’s Beach in California – known to most people today as Manhattan Beach – has a history that most people who visit...
Gen Z stage peace walk ahead of Kenyan elections
In celebration of World Day for International Justice, young people from Nairobi held a peace walk campaign to stress the importance of non-violence ahead of Kenya’s general elections in August. On Sunday,17th July, youths from Nairobi’s Dandora slums took part in celebrating the World Day for International Justice through...
Greenpeace drops boulders in the ocean to prevent bottom trawling
In an effort to prevent the destructive industrial fishing method of bottom trawling, Greenpeace has planted 18 large boulders on a seabed off the UK coast. Plans to continue the act of ‘protest’ today, however, have been blocked. It’s safe to say that ocean conservationists are in the ‘last resort’...
New UK prime minister renews concern over climate nihilism
Since the anointment of Liz Truss as the new Conservative prime minister, a renewed lack of clarity around the continuation of vital research funding and climate measures has experts worried. UK citizens are understandably preoccupied with policies impacting the immediate future. Eco experts, however, are looking to the long term...
Scotland passes law guaranteeing access to free sanitary products
In a world first, councils and education providers across the country will now be legally required to make tampons and pads available to anyone who needs them. In the UK, almost a quarter of all people who menstruate are unable to afford basic sanitary products like tampons and pads. This is according to research from WaterAid, which earlier this year reported that 20 per cent of participants involved...
The major changes cities need to withstand a warmer planet
With record breaking heatwaves enveloping cities across the world, identifying adaptive measures to cope with the climate crisis has never looked more vital. As I write to you today, I am surrounded by evidence of unfruitful attempts to stay cool: fans, a water-misting bottle, and cold brew coffee rapidly turned lukewarm. Despite already having drank 3L of water before noon, my skin continues to feel like the bottom of my...
Dubai builds world’s largest vertical farm
The city known for importing almost all of its produce will now grow 2 million pounds of leafy greens each year inside the world’s largest vertical farm. As the world begins to turn its back on oil in favour of green energy, the United Arab Emirates must follow suit or risk falling behind. In 2021, the UAE set out plans to solidify itself as a global hub for sustainable technology...
The challenges and opportunities of a growing global population
Before the year is up, the global human population is expected to surpass the 8 billion mark. Along with it will come environmental challenges, but also an opportunity to diversify the global economy. The United Nations global population projection estimates we will reach a global population of 8 billion people by November of this year, with that number increasing to 10 billion by 2080. Surpassing the 8 billion mark is...
