By Silia Tsigka, GLOBUS Correspondent In November 2020, the possession of hard drugs, like heroin and cocaine, as well as the medicinal use of hallucinogens, like mushrooms, was decriminalized in Oregon. Oregon became the first US state to adopt this policy through a democratic vote and, soon after, other states moved towards a looser drug policy... Continue Reading →
By Olivia Kline, GLOBUS correspondant UNiDAYS, Student Beans - we love to hate them. They provide discounts and offers that give students… well what exactly? A 20% discount at Pretty Little Thing? A voucher for dinner at Zizzi’s? At first glance, only the positives appear, which makes us believe that materialistic living is affordable. Who... Continue Reading →
By Faye Palmer, GLOBUS Correspondent What are dead zones? Dead zones are anoxic areas of water that cannot sustain biodiversity. They occur naturally, but there is increasing concern that anthropogenic activities are accelerating their growth. Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers are primarily responsible for dead zone expansion as they cause eutrophication – they overload the water with nutrients. Due... Continue Reading →
By Šimon Michalčík, GLOBUS Correspondent Every second counts Combatting the climate crisis is of the utmost importance. Both our society and our planet are being destroyed, and with every fraction of a degree of global warming, the consequences grow significantly more alarming. The Paris Agreement set to keep the temperature rise below 2°C (with the ambitious goal... Continue Reading →
by Laura Chevrot, GLOBUS Correspondent The topic of cleaner energy is becoming increasingly relevant. As of today, over 113 countries including the United Kingdom have committed to carbon neutrality by 2030. Attention has turned towards alternative energies such as wind, solar and electric power to achieve net zero emissions. But these technologies have their downsides... Continue Reading →
Written by Chiu Rex, GLOBUS Correspondent Banks. Major funders of fossil fuel companies. Accomplices of big oil. Villains of the climate. But think again. What if banks were forced to take into account the risks associated with climate change? What if banks were forced to stop lending to fossil fuel companies? What if banks became part of the solution? CBES: What is... Continue Reading →
By Naomi Carter, GLOBUS Correspondent Boohoo have been getting a lot of press recently, and not only because they have just signed a £55 million deal to buy Debenhams. Since lockdown 1.0, shocking conditions in their Leicester factories have been revealed - failure to pay minimum wages, inadequate fire protection, lack of social distancing, unpaid overtime, and... Continue Reading →
By Catriona Heyworth, GLOBUS Correspondent Carbon footprints are a common topic. Addressing population—how many feet are leaving their tracks—remains controversial despite widespread agreement that greater numbers place more strain on the planet.- Project Drawdown It can be easy to fall into the trap of searching for single, seemingly magical solutions to climate change which either... Continue Reading →
By Šimon Michalčík, GLOBUS Correspondent Devastating hurricane kills thousands. Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes enter Europe. The Netherlands completely sunk by rising sea levels. You may have seen similar headlines to the ones above. Some are yet to be seen, but climate change is increasing the likelihood that one day you will, whether that is on the... Continue Reading →
by Amy Denton, GLOBUS Correspondent Electric cars are the future, are they not? We have been told that they are more efficient and produce fewer emissions than traditional vehicles. An EU study in 2020 found that an electric car running on electricity generated solely by an oil-fired power station would use only two-thirds of the... Continue Reading →
By Eszter Vlasits, GLOBUS Correspondent The ideas of mainstream sustainable development question several fundamental things about our world: the uneven distribution of wealth and opportunities, the way we exploit our environment, and the unsustainable structures of industry and society. But they leave one thing unquestioned: the absolute necessity and prioritization of development. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)... Continue Reading →
by Natalia Tronina, GLOBUS Correspondent The COVID-19 pandemic has hindered many ambitious plans that were devised to mitigate the risks of climate change. The concept of smart cities is one of them. But despite the obstacles posed by the pandemic, innovations aiming to bring forth the green transition scheme and improve living standards around the... Continue Reading →
By Naomi Harris, GLOBUS Correspondent When we think of biodiversity loss, we tend to picture deforestation of the Amazon, or raging wildfires in Australia, or oil spills in Mauritius. However, the reality is that biodiversity loss is happening on our very doorstep. In fact, “more than one in 10 of the UK’s wildlife species are threatened... Continue Reading →
by Naomi Carter, GLOBUS Correspondent I love to have a clear argument in a debate, but I’ll admit that this is a tricky one. Although I haven’t bought clothes from fast fashion brands for a considerable amount of time, and I now find myself overwhelmed by the bright lights, discounts and cheap-yet-tempting products at shopping,... Continue Reading →
By Silia Tsigka, GLOBUS Correspondent In February 2020 Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos announced the commencement of the “Earth Fund”, to which he intended to donate an initial amount of 10 billion dollars, dedicated to causes relevant to combating climate change. In mid-November 2020, he announced the first beneficiaries of this fund, which include scientists, activists, and other institutions and organisations, making Bezos the biggest contributor to... Continue Reading →
By Virginia Thomas-Pickles, GLOBUS Correspondent 2020 was a difficult year, taking a huge toll on the mental health of so many people. Data published by the Office of National Statistics shows the British population felt increased anxiousness, reduced life satisfaction, and reduced happiness since the beginning of the pandemic when compared to pre-pandemic data. This is especially true... Continue Reading →
by Catriona Heyworth, GLOBUS Correspondent Tax evasion, while prevalent in today’s society, is hugely unpopular among the general public (Scott 2014). The ethics of tax evasion is not particularly controversial, as most would agree that tax evasion is economically regressive, contributes to inequality by pulling needed funds out of government coffers, and creates other adverse... Continue Reading →
By Rex Chiu, GLOBUS Correspondent Since SARs-CoV-2 struck the UK in late February/ early March of 2020, the UK government has been forecasted to spend £280 billion pounds to support the nation’s businesses, jobs and the wider economy. While the furlough scheme in this spending package has won major applause for maintaining employment levels and has been adopted globally, the implications of this... Continue Reading →
By Amy Denton, GLOBUS Correspondent As a first-year student, I have recently begun the process of looking for second-year housing. It feels crazy to be looking already because term 1 has only just finished, but everyone who’s given me advice about uni-life has said to start early. However, the one thing I haven’t been told... Continue Reading →
by Finn Beckett-Hester, GLOBUS Correspondent According to a UN report, electronic waste (e-waste) is the fastest growing form of domestic waste globally, with around 50 million metric tonnes being produced in 2019 alone, of which only 20% was recycled. This is environmentally and socially problematic. E-waste contains an array of toxic substances including lead, mercury,... Continue Reading →
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