Temperatures soar to unprecedented heights
Earth just experienced its hottest day in recorded history. This has raised alarm bells among scientists and policymakers worldwide, who argue that it should serve as a wake-up-call. On Sunday July 21, Earth experienced its hottest day in history, with the planet’s average temperature soaring to a staggering 62.76°F...
Current in Change
Airline allows female passengers to avoid sitting with men
IndiGo is the first major airline to allow female passengers to choose the gender of those seated next to them. Is this the future of air travel? A major Indian budget airline, IndiGo, has made headlines for introducing a unique new policy. Female passengers will now be allowed to...
What is happening in Venezuela?
Following the disputed result of the country’s presidential election – which saw Maduro secure another term in power – fresh protests have broken out in the capital. Home to the largest oil reserves in the world and once the richest nation in South America, recent decades have seen Venezuela ‘collapse...
Lululemon’s ‘Be Planet’ campaign could land it in an EU lawsuit
The Canadian advocacy group Stand.earth has filed a legal complaint about Lululemon’s ‘Be Planet’ campaign, stating it grossly contradicts the company’s true environmental impact. Many major companies have been accused of greenwashing in recent years, but Lululemon might’ve made a big mistake by running its 'Be Planet' marketing campaign just...
Typhoon Gaemi devastates several countries in Asia
Worsening the torrential monsoon rains that are currently lashing China, Taiwan, and the Philippines, the tropical cyclone has triggered massive flooding and landslides, killing hundreds, injuring thousands, and even sinking ships. A freak weather event in parts of Asia is devastating China, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Since it initially developed on...
Cattle farmer fined $50 million for damaging Amazon rainforest
A Brazilian rancher has been ordered to pay a whopping $50 million fine after destroying a large swathe of the Amazon rainforest to make space for cattle farming. He’s also been ordered to restore the area, which will be no small feat. Last week, a Brazilian federal court froze the...
The Supreme Court blocks plans to reduce US air pollution
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ‘Good Neighbour’ plan has been scrapped, signalling a dire shift away from green initiatives in US politics. Just weeks after the US presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump omitted any mention of global warming – despite it being a significant concern amongst Americans – the Supreme Court has blocked the EPA’s ‘Good Neighbour’ plan. The ‘Good Neighbour’ regulation aimed to slash ozone emissions by requiring...
The failings that caused the tragic school collapse in Nigeria
In a heart-wrenching tragedy, The Saint Academy in the Jos North district of Plateau State, Nigeria, collapsed last Friday leading to the death of 22 students and leaving hundreds more injured. The Saint Academy, in central Nigeria, had its two-storey building collapse when students were having their exams last Friday. Locals claim the collapse was caused by heavy rainfall in the past week, but reports suggest that structural weaknesses might have...
The global crisis of illegal turtle trade
Recent arrests in Malaysia have drawn attention to the illegal turtle trade – a thriving black market industry worth billions that’s decimating vulnerable turtle populations to meet demand. Earlier this month, Malaysian authorities apprehended six members of an international wildlife smuggling syndicate known as the ‘Ninja Turtle Gang.’ During the raid, they rescued approximately 200 turtles and tortoises, their total value exceeding $52,000. This was the second of two...
Waterstones controversy highlights the power of social media
The popular bookseller has been criticised for transphobic behaviour, after book-tok came out in support of a former employee. Waterstones has been a mainstay of the British highstreet for decades, but the beloved bookseller has sparked significant online backlash over its stance on LGBTQIA+ issues. Over the past few years, Waterstones has been heavily criticised for controversial actions regarding queer staff, customers, and the entire community in general, with the...
