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Rooted in Resilience: Unearthing Unity in the Climate Movement
By GLOBUS Correspondent Ellen Barrett Increasing attention is being given to climate change – as an issue of life and death on a global scale, it demands attention. The sheer magnitude of the crisis can become so overwhelming that it leads to hopelessness. We can observe this in eco-anxiety, consumer guilt, and climate-related mental health issues. Still, there remains a movement that is both expanding … Continue reading Rooted in Resilience: Unearthing Unity in the Climate Movement
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How can our tiny microbial neighbours help us grow our food sustainably?
By GLOBUS Correspondent Louis Gervaise With the global population surpassing 8 billion in 2022, a significant portion live in a world overshadowed by the threat of food insecurity. The questions arise: why is there not enough food to keep with growth and how can we ensure a safe and sustainable future for them? With modern scientific research, we could have a chance at adapting and … Continue reading How can our tiny microbial neighbours help us grow our food sustainably?
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Weaponising Water: Israel’s Campaign of Destruction
By GLOBUS Correspondent, Esther Rowntree As the death toll of endless attacks on Palestinian civilians mounts, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Israeli military will use any means possible to crush its targets. Bombs, guns, tanks, and more are deployed in huge numbers; but one other weapon, equally deadly, is a key component of Israel’s strategy: water. Weaponising water as a tool of oppression … Continue reading Weaponising Water: Israel’s Campaign of Destruction
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Five ways to give the gift of Nature this Christmas
By GLOBUS Correspondent Virginia Thomas-Pickles As Christmas is a time for generosity, it provides us all with an opportunity to give something back to Nature. No matter how big or small our contributions – from feeding the birds to volunteering at a local conservation charity – collectively they could have a large positive impact for Nature at a time when it is most in need. … Continue reading Five ways to give the gift of Nature this Christmas
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A concrete starting point for a sustainable construction industry
By GLOBUS Correspondent, Keya Shah In order to meet the global goal of net zero by 2050, all sectors need to be assessed against the sustainable development goals. While transport and manufacturing seem to be under the media spotlight, the built environment and construction sector continues to account for 38% of global carbon emissions. Considering that globally concrete is the most widely consumed material after … Continue reading A concrete starting point for a sustainable construction industry
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‘But Why Didn’t Anyone Do Anything?’: The Apathy Issue
By Globus Correspondent Esther Rowntree ‘But why didn’t anyone do anything?’ When schoolchildren learn about the Holocaust, this is the question heard in classrooms across the world. Their teachers reassure them that the average citizen had no idea about the genocide being committed- that if they had known a fraction of what was happening, they would have stood up for what was right. While this … Continue reading ‘But Why Didn’t Anyone Do Anything?’: The Apathy Issue
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How the UK fails victims of domestic slavery
By GLOBUS Correspondent Esther Rowntree Since 1807, the buying and selling of people has been illegal in the UK. Unseen by most, however, slavery is still an evil which permeates our society today. Sexual slavery, forced labour, and criminal exploitation are all ways in which traffickers entrap victims, but arguably the most difficult form of modern slavery to identify is domestic servitude. Whether by employers, … Continue reading How the UK fails victims of domestic slavery
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Energising the net zero transition: the current UK energy market
By GLOBUS Correspondent Karishma Bansal U-turns are a common activity for the Conservative party, but the latest announcement on a backtrack of net zero pledges raises alarm bells. The ban on petrol and diesel cars being pushed back from 2030 to 2035, as well as scrapping the obligation for landlords to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties has confused the general public on Sunak’s … Continue reading Energising the net zero transition: the current UK energy market
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Are Gyms Sustainable, and can you have a Sustainable Fitness Journey?
By GLOBUS Correspondent Callum Morar The fitness industry in 2022 was worth $96.7 billion and its value is only going to rise even further. Gyms and a fitness lifestyle are scary to some, due to the high maintenance and cost, but others who are intimidating gym regulars are not phased. Socially and financially, there are already concerns with fitness; however, is this the case environmentally … Continue reading Are Gyms Sustainable, and can you have a Sustainable Fitness Journey?
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Finding a ‘Voice’ in a System of Structural Inequality: A Discussion of Australia’s Referendum on Including Indigenous Representation in the Constitution
By Rowan Bisp Key Terms: The term “Aborigine” is generally perceived as insensitive due to the historical use of the term in a racist manner and because it brings hundreds of culturally diverse people all together into a single term. The phrase “aboriginal people” can refer to an indigenous person from anywhere in the world. In an Australian context, some Aboriginal people live in mainland … Continue reading Finding a ‘Voice’ in a System of Structural Inequality: A Discussion of Australia’s Referendum on Including Indigenous Representation in the Constitution
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Rethinking Sustainability in the face of the Cost of Living Crisis
Juan José Bestene is one of the highly commended participants of this year’s Global Sustainable Development Competition. His essay discusses the complexity of living sustainably for individuals in a society that is inherently unsustainable and the difficulty consumers face to make more sustainable purchases. In the “Discourse on the Origins of Inequality“, Rousseau argues that all humans are born equally with inherent virtue, embedded with … Continue reading Rethinking Sustainability in the face of the Cost of Living Crisis
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How the Burning Cost of Living Crisis is Freezing Sustainable Development
By Cadence Goveas, GSD Competition 2023- Highly Commended Some people are afraid of spiders. Others are deathly terrified of heights. For many though, standing in the checkout aisle of their local supermarket has become their worst nightmare, dread coursing through them as they watch the total for their weekly groceries soar to unprecedented levels. The UK experienced inflation at 11.1% in 2022 – the highest … Continue reading How the Burning Cost of Living Crisis is Freezing Sustainable Development
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Postcolonialism on Ice: The Reality for Greenland’s Youth
By Simone Feilberg-Nielsen, GSD and PAIS Finalist In 2019, Donald Trump proposed that he would be willing to buy Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, which Mette Frederiksen (the Danish Prime Minister at the time) politely declined in that ‘Greenland was not for sale’. Although Trump’s bid was not the first time that Greenland had received a financial offer throughout its history, it did bring new … Continue reading Postcolonialism on Ice: The Reality for Greenland’s Youth
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The Circular Shift: Redefining Sustainability with Circular Economy
This article is part of a mini-series of articles on the topic of the circular economy. In this first article, GLOBUS Correspondent Kieran Hibbert explains the circular economy model and outlines the ways in which we can achieve a successful shift from the current take-make-waste to a closed-loop system. What role does the circular economy play in creating a sustainable future? Continue reading The Circular Shift: Redefining Sustainability with Circular Economy
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What Role do Institutions Play in Climate Change Mitigation?
by Hrishita Rangoonwala, GSD and Business Studies Correspondent University: Experience that impacts character building in amplitudes that few institutions can come to par with. Generating a sense of personal responsibility towards climate change mitigation in youth is a small yet important piece in the green technology and progressive public policy development puzzles. Universities are a tool to accelerate personal growth and development within individuals. Using … Continue reading What Role do Institutions Play in Climate Change Mitigation?
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The Rwanda Plan: The Whats, Whys, Critics and the Future
By GLOBUS Assistant Editor and Campaigns Manager, Isabel Govier What is the Rwanda Plan? It consists of a 5-year agreement established in April of 2022 between the British and Rwandan governments, which allows the UK Home Office to send people who would otherwise claim asylum in the UK to Rwanda. Once there, the Rwandan government will assess their asylum claim and decide whether they are … Continue reading The Rwanda Plan: The Whats, Whys, Critics and the Future
What Happens When You Claim Asylum in the UK?
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Earthquake in Turkey: Refugees’ Blood on the EU’s Hands
By Oliver Hembury-Gunn Refugees are treated as political objects by governments worldwide as part of official migration policies. As part of their border defence policies, rich democracies pay huge sums to convince refugee and migrant ‘sender countries’ to block refugees’ onward travel into their borders.[1] Often, governments make no distinction between refugees and labour migrants, meaning there is no feasible legal path for refugees, fleeing … Continue reading Earthquake in Turkey: Refugees’ Blood on the EU’s Hands
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Is the UK ‘Anti-Immigration’?
by Lianna Ng, GSD Correspondent Back in June last year, when it was announced that the first group of asylum seekers would be ‘relocated’ to Rwanda on the 14th of June, reports of suicide attempts among those facing this prospect began emerging. This arrangement, officially known as the ‘UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership’, was agreed upon earlier in April 2022. Fortunately, at the time … Continue reading Is the UK ‘Anti-Immigration’?
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Narrating Italian Migration to Switzerland – a Success Story?
by Ilaria Ravazzolo, GSD Correspondent The common narrative in the media and among the Swiss population today is that the story of Italian immigrants in Switzerland is one of successful integration. They are, in fact, portrayed as the ‘good’, exemplary immigrant group which has achieved full assimilation. How much truth is behind this narrative though? A brief history of Italian migration Italy has a long … Continue reading Narrating Italian Migration to Switzerland – a Success Story?
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Sustainable Habit Making: A Simple How To Guide
By GLOBUS Correspondent, Ellen Barrett The UN’s ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ list targets position individuals as the primary focus of change. For instance, goal 12 centers around responsible consumerism. Many theories surrounding consumerism centre on the assumption that all actors are rational decision-makers. In actuality, it’s not that simple. For consumers, we are all influenced by emotion, the attraction of simplifying information processing via cognitive shortcuts, … Continue reading Sustainable Habit Making: A Simple How To Guide
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Science and the future of food at Warwick Crop Centre, Part 2: Protection of Vital Vegetables
By Sakeena Rajpal, GLOBUS Communications and Events Officer As the air turns crisper and colder, and the festive season draws closer and closer, I suddenly remembered how important roast vegetables are to a perfect Christmas dinner, shining like jewels as they arrive crispy and tender out of the oven on Christmas day. This is not forgetting how important vegetables are in a perfect Sunday roast, … Continue reading Science and the future of food at Warwick Crop Centre, Part 2: Protection of Vital Vegetables
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Effective Activism: A Hopeful Step Towards a Sustainable Future
By Isabel Govier, Assistant Editor and Campaigns Manager of GLOBUS Over recent years the world has been met with ever-increasing waves of activism, with over a third of all human rights climate cases being filed between 2020 and 2021. At the University of Warwick there are 42 charity and campaigning societies, striving to increase sustainability via direct and indirect forms of activism. With the magnitude of … Continue reading Effective Activism: A Hopeful Step Towards a Sustainable Future
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Ditch the Bleach: Tips for Eco-Cleaning
By Amy Denton, Editor-in-Chief of GLOBUS I have recently delved into the world of eco-cleaning, and I find it fascinating! Whilst chemicals in household cleaners should be safe if used correctly, research suggests that long-term exposure to cleaning chemicals can cause respiratory issues like asthma or in severe cases could even decrease lung functionality. So, whilst I must admit to still using shop-bought anti-bacterial surface … Continue reading Ditch the Bleach: Tips for Eco-Cleaning
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Exploring Controversies Around ESG Investing
By Diogo Ribeiro Dos Santos, GLOBUS Correspondents ESG investing is the present’s equivalent to ‘sustainable’ investing—it allows you to grow your money whilst supporting companies that are making a change for the better – or so goes the current rhetoric. In my previous article, I go into detail on how you can make a difference through ESG Investing. However, in this article I will address … Continue reading Exploring Controversies Around ESG Investing
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Human Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals: A Complex Relationship
By Ilaria Ravazzolo, GLOBUS Correspondent Most people are familiar with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (also known by its acronym SDGs) or have at least heard of them. Similarly, I assume that most people have heard of human rights – also a concept supported and ratified by the UN. Even if you don’t know much about the SDGs and you can’t name all of … Continue reading Human Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals: A Complex Relationship
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Science and the future of food at Warwick Crop Centre: Part 1
By Sakeena Rajpal, GLOBUS Communications and Events Officer Did someone say dinner for 67 million? As a nation, food security is something that is always on our minds, even more so due to the plethora of issues such as Brexit, Covid-19, the Ukraine War and inflation- not forgetting climate change posing a significant risk to UK food production. Despite the UK having a successful agricultural … Continue reading Science and the future of food at Warwick Crop Centre: Part 1
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What stops us from being sustainable: Part 2
by Dayan Pindoria, GSD Competition Prizewinner ‘Sustainable development’ (SD) is widely believed to be an approach towards socio-economic progression that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. At the heart of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.) Figure 1. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Each … Continue reading What stops us from being sustainable: Part 2
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A Mortal Paradox: A Poem by Maia Gorman
By GSD Competition Prizewinner Maia Gorman I have often thought about how our society’s reaction to climate change is to prevent disasters from happening rather than engaging in positive action to create a better future. Our passive mentality can be one of the obstacles society faces in terms of environmental innovation. I think we should aim for positive change that can not only reduce carbon … Continue reading A Mortal Paradox: A Poem by Maia Gorman
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Patient Earth
By Ella Thompson, Prizewinner of the 2022 GSD Competition Patient Earth tackles human’s inherent tendency of appearing to make change in our lifestyles, without actually doing so. This is a serious barrier in achieving true sustainable development, which can be addressed by a real change in attitudes. In a medical-like matter ‘Patient Earth’ diagnoses the Earth with symptoms in hopes of conveying to the reader … Continue reading Patient Earth
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Anchored: A Short Story
By GLOBUS Correspondent, Šimon Michalčík Do you imagine the future of humankind to be interplanetary—or even galactic? Does the Plan B scenario of Mars colonisation soothe your climate anxiety? Then ponder the problem of orbital debris and think again—for we are standing below yet another emerging global crisis of the commons. Orbital debris (or space waste) extends our notion of Earth’s natural resource system beyond … Continue reading Anchored: A Short Story
Fireworks: How bad are they? Can they be eco-friendly?
By GLOBUS Correspondent Callum Morar In the last few months the festival period came upon us again. New Year’s, Diwali, Guy Fawkes night, Christmas; the list goes on. The sky was a constant light show. Every day we saw a multitude of colours and heard relentless bangs no matter where we went. Everyone loves a firework display, but the environment definitely does not share that … Continue reading Fireworks: How bad are they? Can they be eco-friendly?
Circular Economy in Action: The Convergence of Reverse Logistics and Technology-Driven Recycling
by Kieran Hibbert, GLOBUS correspondent Introduction: Revisiting the Circular Economy After laying the groundwork in our initial exploration of the circular economy, we now focus on its transformative components: reverse logistics and tech-driven recycling. These practices are crucial in the shift from a linear to a circular model, emphasising not just resource continuity and waste minimisation but also value maximisation. This transition isn’t merely an … Continue reading Circular Economy in Action: The Convergence of Reverse Logistics and Technology-Driven Recycling
Who run the World?: The critical role of women in achieving sustainable development
By GLOBUS Correspondent, Karishma Bansal Women have long been subjected to patriarchal roles in society, limiting their ability to work in the official sector, have a political voice, and own land, all of which reinforce gender inequity. The reality of attaining the Sustainable Development Goals gets increasingly startling as we approach 2030. If current trends continue, over 340 million women and girls will still live … Continue reading Who run the World?: The critical role of women in achieving sustainable development
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