Earth Hour, one of the world’s largest (and home grown!) grassroots movement is almost upon us, uniting people to take action on climate change and protect the planet. On Saturday, 27 March 2021, 8:30pm local time, millions around the world will switch off their lights for one hour in the symbolic event to support climate...
Gender influences how people experience and respond to climate change. This is particularly evident in developing nations where women and men adapt to climatic shocks differently. Women work harder and longer, in poorer conditions, while men are more likely to migrate to find work that’s often insecure and unreliable. In an article published today in...
If you dig a little into the history of the modern environmental movement, it’s not long until you find white supremacy at its foundations. Folks such as John Muir, founder of the oldest and largest US conservation organisation the Sierra Club, held racist beliefs that excluded Native Americans and Black people. Others, like naturalist John...
The organised environmental movement is largely a white, middle-class space. But our research shows migrants care for nature in other ways – including living sustainably in their everyday lives. This is most obvious on the domestic front. From repurposing goods to keeping vegetable gardens and being careful with electricity use, migrants are highly likely to...
For most of human history, agriculture has been widely practiced for individual sustenance as well as the preservation of human communities. Over time, we learnt to adopt a more nomadic lifestyle, moving with the changing seasons to adapt quicker to various factors in our surrounding environment. Back in the day, some of the biggest influences...
Citing urgent new data on the growing plastic pollution problem, As You Sow, a nonprofit organization that promotes environmental and social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, has filed shareholder proposals with 10 leading consumer goods companies and retailers, calling for commitments to absolute cuts in use of plastic packaging. The shareholder proposals were filed with Amazon.com, Keurig...
Countries around the world are taking steps to tackle climate change and become net-zero emitters of carbon dioxide (CO2) by 2050. Most recently, Joe Biden’s presidential election win means the US is the latest nation to adopt the goal. So what does net-zero mean? Completely eliminating all greenhouse gas emissions? Not necessarily. The “net” part...
Global reduction in productivity, the health challenges brought on by the pandemic and the plethora of economic setbacks suffered by various industries across the globe, 2020 was quite the year. Still, the silver lining might be that for the sustainability movement, last year may have been one of its most progressive yet. From reduction in...
The pandemic continues to disrupt our routines and wreak havoc in our lives. We’re carrying disinfectant sprays, wearing face masks in public spaces, greeting each other with our elbows and some families have faced the full brunt of COVID-19, with family members losing their lives. While 2020 was an awful year for many in the...
We all know how challenging 2020 was for everyone all over the world – with the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed almost 1.7 million lives and impacted livelihoods, pushing more than 265 million to the brink of starvation. This is aggravated by the disastrous effects of climate change that has forced many vulnerable people in...
Rising global temperatures are negatively impacting natural systems; large-scale weather phenomena such as droughts, super storms and bushfires are among some of the extreme weather events occurring with greater frequency. From Australia’s unprecedented bushfires, California’s wildfires right through to rising sea levels threatening the lives of people who call the Pacific Islands home, it is...
With three hearts, blue blood, no bones and eight limbs attached to a bulbous head, octopuses seem like they’re from another planet. But in My Octopus Teacher, the hugely popular nature documentary on Netflix, these cephalopods as not only presented as remarkable — but relatable. The documentary seeks to evoke empathy by telling a story...