A new technique turns organic biomass into durable plastic
Scientists have created a new type of plastic made from organic plant waste. It could be used to make packaging, textiles, medicine, and even electronics. Life in plastic, it’s fantastic… yeah, that didn’t age too well. Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and the plastics created from them has been identified...
Current in Change
Opinion – Kylie’s ‘climate criminal’ controversy is part of wider issue
The billionaire has faced a torrent of intense criticism amid reports that she frequently uses her private jet for brief journeys, despite mounting concerns over the deteriorating state of our planet. Earlier this week, as a troubling number of countries across the globe scrambled to cope with unprecedented heatwaves courtesy...
Opinion – Clarence Thomas proves Roe v Wade impacts everyone
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, Justice Clarence Thomas’ comments on LGBTQ+ rights suggest a war on civil liberty is just beginning in America. In the next 30 days, 13 states will ban abortion in the US. Since the Supreme Court announced its...
The popularity of vapes is an environmental nightmare
New research has identified that two vapes are thrown away every second in the UK alone, ending up in landfill despite the fact they contain lithium, a valuable and increasingly scarce metal on which much of the high-tech economy depends. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know...
The Lionesses’ Euro triumph will change the face of women’s football
Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses have captured the hearts and minds of the country and the future of women’s football will be all the better for it. The celebrations are rightly still ongoing, but we can’t help but look to the future. If you’ve been living under a rock this weekend, Sarina Wiegman’s...
New spray-on coating could replace plastic food wrapping
Researchers at Harvard and Rutgers have developed a new plant-based antimicrobial coating to protect food. It has the potential to replace single-use plastic wrappers. As anybody who eats on-the-go knows, plastic wrapping and single-use packaging is a major environmental waste problem. We throw away tons of cardboard and plastic every...
What does a summer of heatwaves say about our climate?
From India to Europe and more, climate change is driving increasingly intense and damaging heatwaves as humans struggle to adapt. The world has been feeling the heat in 2022. India and Pakistan experienced their hottest March on record this year, exposing many to power and water shortages. Europe, meanwhile, is only just emerging from an unprecedented heatwave, with forecast models indicating any relief will only be temporary across the Iberian Peninsula. In...
Are past-focused approaches to therapy getting it wrong?
Traditional approaches to therapy tend to focus on unpacking difficult experiences from the past. Could incorporating a mindful, future-focused method be more practical? If you’ve ever been to therapy, you’ve probably been encouraged to tell your story and to ‘start from the beginning’. Our life experiences shape who we are, making past-focused counselling helpful for identifying the root of certain negative behaviours, thought patterns, and habits. But many people enter therapy because...
Filmmaker Lu Ke arrested for exploiting Malawian children
A Chinese national filmmaker, Lu Ke, has been accused of manipulating Malawian village children into saying racist phrases as personalised greeting videos and selling footage on Chinese sites. Last week, Zambian authorities arrested Chinese national Mr. Lu Ke, who fled Malawi after viral videos of children saying racist phrases emerged on Chinese social media sites. Lu Ke was arrested in the eastern Chipata district of Zambia and later returned to Malawi. The...
Climate NGOs plea for Tesla to pull out of Indonesia nickel drive
Dozens of environmental NGOs have sent a joint letter to Elon Musk pleading with the Tesla chief to pull out of Indonesia’s nickel drive. Citing concerns around water pollution and deforestation, the cohort claim this isn’t the way to accelerate EV adoption. As we approach 2030 climate deadlines, the automobile industry is changing drastically each year. The common consensus is that we need electric vehicles (EVs) to succeed petrol cars, and...
