By J. Critchley – Food production causes over a quarter of the worlds greenhouse gas emissions [1]. It’s estimated that by 2050 there will be another 2 billion people on earth which will require 70% more food [2], meaning greenhouse gas emissions are only going to increase [3]. So, it’s becoming ever more important to…
By Rose Huish-Neave – With more deaths than any human war, the meat industry kills 200 million animals per day and 18,000 humans per year [1]. More antibiotics are used on livestock than on our sick populations and are the primary cause of deforestation worldwide [2]. Humans could solve world hunger if crops grown for…
By Jess Griffiths – New research published in Ecosystems has found that areas of mangrove deforestation in Madagascar has lost 20% of carbon stored in the upper 1m of soil and 45% of total carbon accumulated in the past century [1], far more than previously thought. The CO2 emitted contributes to human-caused climate change, transforming…
By Eleanor Dann – A potential threat to the recovery of the ozone hole has been discovered[1]. There is evidence to suggest new emissions of the chemical CFC-11, which may be due to an unreported production[2] and has the potential to delay the recovery of the ozone hole. This article explores the potential impact of…
By Luke Josef Misra – Introduction. In recent years microplastics have come to the forefront of media attention. Microplastics, which are defined as plastic pieces less than five millimetres long, are believed to be the most plentiful form of plastic in the oceans [1] at up to 92.4% [2]. A peer reviewed article by Li…
By Alice Lamb – The global impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic have been varied and widespread, creating crises that threaten global food security [1]. According to a UN report, the number of people who don’t have enough food to eat rose steeply during the pandemic to almost a third of the world [2], juxtaposing…
By Luisa Kate Shield – In 2021, Laborde et al published an article in Agricultural Economics [1] that showed the severity the COVID-19 pandemic had on food security and global diets. Changes in global food consumption have been evident since the COVID-19 pandemic began, this is due to three main reasons: changes in household incomes,…
By Anthea Phalosa – Coral reefs are a major source of attraction in the tropics, in places like Indonesia or Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. However, these biodiversity hotspots are facing a threat ultimately linked to human activity [1]. Anthropogenic activity such as the increasing use of fossil fuels have contributed to global scale warming…
By Tom Ide – As the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly prevalent, it’s now clear that these effects are not evenly distributed, and that climate change is very much a social issue as well as an environmental issue – with indigenous people among the first to face the direct consequences [1]. Nowhere…
By Chloe Wornell – Electronics play a huge role in all aspects of daily life, from entertainment purposes to food preparation. However, the production of these devices can lead to severe health issues for people who rely on the land around these sites due to the contamination of the soil from heavy metals that are…