Tag: the conversation
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Saving lives from extreme heat: Lessons from the deadly 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave
Extreme heat disasters like this are becoming increasingly common in regions where high heat used to be rare. Blackouts during severe heat waves can also leave residents who believe they are protected because they have in home air conditioners at unexpected risk. To prepare, cities, neighborhoods, companies and individuals can take steps now that can…
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Strikes, protests, collective action: “hustling” wasn’t always how workers fought to afford living costs
Most people today are coping with the rising cost of living individually: cost cutting, looking for a better paid job, taking on “side hustles”, and so on. But not so long ago, many workers globally and in Aotearoa New Zealand approached the same problem in far more collective ways.
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4 Years Ago: How Mass Action Forced al-Bashir from Power in Sudan
Many have described the Sudanese uprising as a “bread protest” against a rise in inflation. In fact the Sudanese people took to the streets for much more than a struggling economy, or the price of bread. They have been calling for freedom, peace, justice and the downfall of the regime.
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How schools and families can take climate action by learning about food systems
Gabrielle Edwards, University of British Columbia News about the climate crisis alerts us to the urgent need for drastic global changes. Given this, it’s not surprising that one study surveying thousands of young people found most respondents were worried about climate change, and over 45 per cent said worries about climate change affected them daily.…
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Gold mining is one of the most destructive and unnecessary industries – here’s how to end it
By Stephen Lezak, University of Oxford, originally published at theconversation.com The 16th-century King Ferdinand of Spain sent his subjects abroad with the command: “Get gold, humanely if possible, but at all hazards, get gold.” His statement rings true today. Gold remains one of the world’s most expensive substances, but mining it is one of the…
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Lithium mining puts worldviews into conflict in Bolivia
Mario Orospe Hernández, Arizona State University Located in the heart of South America, Bolivia contains the largest lithium deposits in the world – an enviable position, in many countries’ eyes, as the market for electric vehicles takes off. Though EVs emit fewer greenhouse gases than fuel-powered vehicles, their batteries require more minerals – especially lithium,…
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Eco-anxiety: climate change affects our mental health – here’s how to cope
By Matthew Adams, University of Brighton, originally published on theconversation.com As a psychologist, I have been researching, writing and talking about psychological and social responses to climate change for over ten years. An increasingly common response appears to be extreme worry. The University of Bath recently published the results of its 2023 Climate Action Survey.…
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How Planting Trees Can Be Good or Bad
By Karen D. Holl, University of California, Santa Cruz and Pedro Brancalion, Universidade de São Paulo originally published on theconversation.com For 151 years, Americans have marked Arbor Day on the last Friday in April by planting trees. Now business leaders, politicians, YouTubers and celebrities are calling for the planting of millions, billions or even trillions…
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How to use free satellite data to monitor natural disasters and environmental changes
Traditionally, access to satellite data has been limited to researchers and professionals with expertise in remote sensing and image processing. However, the increasing availability of open-access data from government satellites such as
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Open Soil Science: technology helping us rejoin nature
Soil provides society with essential food, feed, fibre and raw materials, as well as being home to a quarter of the earth’s biodiversity. Soils are also the largest organic carbon reservoir on Earth and although highly dynamic, are very fragile. Chop a forest down and it might grow back in 50 years, but lose 10…
