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...
Current in Change
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...
Could Biden’s exit from the presidential race upend international politics?
Joe Biden has pulled out of running for presidential re-election, with Kamala Harris expected to take his place. How might his sudden exit impact global politics, including the US’ stance on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as its relationship with China? In a moment that it seemed...
Kenya’s coastal communities fight illegal logging with hidden beehives
Stretching along the coastline, the mangrove forests provide a bulwark against coastal erosion, nurture an array of marine life, and play an essential role in the global carbon cycle. Yet, the mangroves face a relentless threat from illegal logging, driven by demand for timber and charcoal. An innovative idea is...
Deadly mudslides in Southern Ethiopia highlight need for climate adaptation
Southern Ethiopia has witnessed a devastating mudslide triggered by torrential rains, resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives. The country’s calamity gives an alarm to the East Africa’s growing vulnerability to extreme weather events, a grim reality exacerbated by climate change. The recent mudslide in Southern Ethiopia's mountainous region...
The Labour Party lifts longstanding ban on onshore wind projects
The UK’s Labour Party is wasting no time advancing its sustainable agenda, lifting a longstanding ban on onshore wind projects just days into its leadership. Ending our reliance on fossil fuels in favour of renewable energy resources has been touted as the number one way to mitigate climate change. In some...
What is ‘Project 2025’ and will it ever see daylight?
A think tank called the Heritage Foundation is urging Trump to make the US a Christian nationalist state, should he get a second term in charge. Liberals are laughing and the former president is emphatically distancing himself. Imagine a ‘Land of the Free’ where watching porn is enough to land citizens in jail. That is a future the Heritage Foundation, a major US think tank, is hoping to secure by as...
What France’s hung parliament means for climate policy
A now hung parliament in France is likely to complicate the country's efforts to address climate change and its path to net zero. French elections have had Europe on the edge of its seat. President Emmanuel Macron called upon the snap elections after the centrist alliance suffered a heavy defeat to the far-right party National Rally (RN) in the European Parliament elections, hoping such a move would catch RN off...
Severity of Just Stop Oil prison sentences causes a stir
Five supporters of the JSO climate campaign have just been handed the longest jail terms ever meted out in the UK for a non-violent demonstration. This has sent shock waves through the protest community and wider British public, who consider the punishment to be too harsh. In November 2022, forty-five Just Stop Oil protestors climbed gantries on the M25, forcing police to stop traffic. Their aim was to...
US government can seemingly censor any social media content it wants
The Supreme Court's recent dismissal of a high-profile free speech case against the Biden administration has reignited concerns about the government's influence over social media content moderation and the broader state of free expression in the US. Late last month, the Supreme Court dismissed claims that the federal government violated the First Amendment by pressuring social media companies to censor certain content. The case – Murthy vs Missouri – was...
