The blog features posts from first-year students taking the LEC.101 Global Environmental Challenges module at the Lancaster Environment Centre. All the posts are based on published research studies and were originally written as a piece of coursework – and what better than a piece of coursework that can be turned into something immediately useful? The…
by Erin Jones – Approximately 2.9 billion hectares of land is affected by shifting cultivation globally[1]. Often named ‘slash and burn’, shifting cultivation is an age-old practice unique to tropical locations in Africa, Asia and Latin America[2]. It involves the cutting and burning of natural material, which is replaced by agricultural crops, followed by an…
by Amelia Jones – The biosphere, where all life on Earth is, faces such extreme stress that the UN warns we have 12 years before catastrophic consequences [1]. Environmental degradation is inevitable in a capitalist-driven world, therefore, it’s futile to tackle climate action, a major UN Sustainable Development Goal [2], without systemic change. Despite this, ethical…
by Maisie Mitchell – Heloderma charlesbogerti, commonly known as the Guatemalan beaded lizard, is arguably already one of the most misunderstood species on the planet, despite only being classed as one in 2013[1]; when it comes to local folklore, the beaded lizard is so notoriously mythologised that it’s often killed on sight[2]. With only around…
by Charlotte Evans – Have you ever considered the negative impacts of offsetting climate change? Food security is a global issue that could be worsened through mitigation processes and it is something that 2 billion people currently suffer from [1]. Climate change and food security are both major global problems and both are linked to…
by Jessica Dean – It is 2020 and clean water is still inaccessible for 2 billion people worldwide. That is one in every three people living without a resource, that we would all agree, is a basic human right necessary for survival[1]. Kamau and Njiru (2018) address this global issue with a focus on water sanitation…
by Eleanor Egan – Meat Consumption has increased rapidly in the last century with a 20% expansion in the last decade alone[i]. This brings a host of environmental issues including effects on climate change. Developed countries are consuming over double the quantity of meat products compared to developing countries[ii], which has lead to unsustainable eating…
by Robbie Folkes – India is the second most populous country in the world, yet inequality amongst its people exists at numerous scales. There is huge income disparity, the top 10% highest earners in India own 77% of the national wealth[1] yet two Indians are pushed into poverty every second, largely as a result of rising…
By Abby Harding – Arguments surrounding nuclear disasters typically concern humans and the effects accidents could and do have upon them, however the consequences for wildlife should also be considered. Nuclear power, although more sustainable for the environment, still possess’ a risk factor, and potential accidents can have detrimental consequences both locally and globally[1]. Over…
by Hannah Galpin – Daily we go about our everyday lives; heat homes, burn fuel, use transportation, eat food from around the globe, use technology and buy clothes manufactured in industrial factories. Have you considered the detrimental impact this has on our children and future generations? Everyday activities pollute and impact children in unimaginable ways. “Pollution…