Clean energy is now cheaper than all other alternatives
Last year, world leaders pledged to phase out fossil fuels at COP26. Improving green energy policies will not only save the planet – it will save future governments a lot of cash, too. Currently, burning fossil fuels accounts for 79 percent of the world’s energy production. But as the majority...
Current in Change
An extra $3.5 trillion a year is the price tag for a net zero transition
Grandiose ambitions of transitioning to net zero economies within the next decade are nothing without serious real-life investment. Now, thanks to a recent report from McKinsey & Company, we know roughly what that sum equates to. Unfortunately, decarbonising entire industries isn’t quite as simple as offering up renewable alternatives and...
Chemical pollution reportedly passes safe limit for humanity
A study on Earth’s cocktail of chemicals suggests pollution levels are threatening the stability of ecosystems on which life physically depends. Fear mongering really isn’t our thing, but we would be remiss not to bring you the unfiltered facts. Though it can’t be verified officially, researchers have reason to believe humanity...
BSL to become a legally recognised language in the UK
The UK government has backed a bill to make BSL a legally recognised language, a move that the British Deaf Association says will give deaf people equal access to education and public services. A bill that would make British Sign Language (BSL) a legally recognised language in the UK and...
Why is Indonesia relocating its capital?
The country’s parliament has just passed a law to move the national capital from Jakarta to the planned city of Nusantara by 2024. One of the world’s most populated urban regions, Jakarta, is home to more than 10 million people, with an estimated 30 million more in the greater metropolitan...
UK healthcare is officially failing women
A newly published report has revealed the extent of the nation’s gender health gap, requiring the government to finally acknowledge that sexism is ingrained within the UK’s healthcare systems. While women’s health has undergone a generational culture shift in recent years, prompting more open discourse around historically stigmatised concerns regarding...
Opinion – we need an improved vetting process for influencers
The recent Molly-Mae scandal has exposed the deeply problematic nature of influencer culture in the digital age, signifying it’s time we introduced better regulations for social media personalities and their platforms. When I first learned of the backlash surrounding Molly-Mae Hague’s controversial ‘we all have the same 24 hours in a day’ comment, my initial reaction wasn’t disbelief towards the obvious insensitivity of such a statement, rather...
Commercial interest in biomaterials tipped to explode in 2022
In the synthetic age, profitability and sustainability have long butted heads. Biomaterials have been touted as the saving grace for green manufacturing for years, but only now are the building blocks coming into place for 2022. It goes without saying that the prospect of forming low-carbon economies is nigh-on impossible if the commercial giants feeding them fail to adapt. As it stands today, 62% of all fibres produced (of which polyester...
NGOs sue UK government for lax net-zero climate plans
The UK government is being sued by climate NGOs for failing to include policies needed to deliver COP26 emission cuts. They argue the current strategy relies too much on speculative technologies. Already in hot water over a number of parties that may or may not have happened, the UK government is now being sued over holes in its net zero climate strategy. Court papers were filed on Wednesday on the grounds...
The EU’s continued problem with empty ‘ghost’ flights
A technicality requiring airlines to use 50% of their airport slots – or face losing them to competitors – leads to thousands of empty flights a year. In Brussels, where the custom is particular bad, pressure is on to stop immediately. When facing the public, western governments appear staunchly determined to fight climate change. You’d be surprised then at how many bureaucratic and technical decisions continue to hold us back. Speaking...
