The shocking living conditions of the UK’s migrant farmers
The people who pick and ultimately provide your fruit and veg are being gravely exploited by their employers. But what can we do to change it? The UK has a tendency to pride itself on fair wages and progressive working conditions. But just like our self-proclaimed status as an economic...
Current in People
A shellfish-inspired solution could reduce textile dye pollution
Researchers at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi have developed a new nanomaterial that can effectively clean up dyes and pollutants from wastewater. The mechanism was inspired by the systems of various shellfish, in particular, mussels. The textile industry uses 1.3 trillion gallons of water to dye garments annually. That’s enough...
What legalisation of NARCAN says about America’s drug laws
Overdose antidote NARCAN has officially been legalised for sale without prescription. It’s a significant step for a country long suffering from an opioid epidemic.
Toward the end of 2022, rumours began circling that the FDA was planning to legalise NARCAN, a drug found to reverse the effects of opioid overdose.
Parisians vote unanimously in favour of e-scooter ban
After recording hundreds of accidents and receiving complaints of congested streets, the French government asked Parisians to vote on a potential ban for rented e-scooters. The result could prompt other European cities to do the same. When they first started popping up on city streets, rentable e-scooters seemed like a...
Climate change risks to public health will be highlighted at COP28
The next UN climate summit will be the first to consider health issues in depth, with a meeting of global health ministers to underline the crisis’ impact on wellbeing. Every year, global leaders join forces at the UN climate summit to discuss the most concerning issues relating to our ecological...
Understanding the ‘loverboy method’ of human trafficking
Andrew Tate’s arrest highlights a tactic used to exploit young women into human trafficking known as the ‘loverboy method.’ To learn more, a survivor of human trafficking explains how it works and debunks popular common myths. Rebecca Bender was 18 when she thought she’d found someone to spend the rest...
Why feminism is more important than ever in 2023
Women have always been fighting for their rights, and the string of violence and crime over the past few years shows an even greater need for it. Sarah Everard’s murder by a Met Police officer sparked a movement around women’s public safety. Vigils and protests were held and two years later the force was condemned for routine sexism. Women are now less likely to report a sexual assault to...
UK boosts domestic air travel as EU countries move to ban it
It’s no secret that air travel is awful for the environment. Why is the UK making domestic flights cheaper and more frequent when EU countries such as the Netherlands, Austria, France, and Belgium are phasing them out? When opting for a domestic flight instead of driving or taking the train, UK travellers are taxed an air passenger duty (APD) fee of around £13. In other cases, such as long-haul flights, the...
Air pollution causes premature death of 1,200 young Europeans annually
According to the EEA’s latest assessment, dirty air kills well over a thousand under 18s across the continent every year and significantly increases the risk of disease later in life. Despite improvements in recent years, ‘the level of key air pollutants in many European countries remains stubbornly above World Health Organisation’ guidelines. This is according to the European Environmental Agency, which assessed over 30 nations across the continent,...
Is free public transport a fundamental right?
In 2020, Luxembourg became the first country to scrap public transport fees. Its residents now believe that free public transport is a fundamental right. Could the scheme work in other countries? Free public transport is a rarity around the world. So rather than pay a daily fee to get from point A to point B and back again, many citizens would rather invest in owning personal vehicles. But in the face of...
