The environmental impact of the Qatar World Cup.

Introduction: On December 10th, 2010, FIFA announced that Qatar would host the 2022 World Cup, bringing the world’s largest sporting event to the Middle East for the first time since the tournament’s inauguration in 1930. As of publication, the tournament has been running for 4 days (AEST) and will continue until the 18th of December,Continue reading “The environmental impact of the Qatar World Cup.”

Define the term carbon offsetting: an absolute joke.

What is carbon offsetting? Carbon offsetting is the practice of paying organisations, on your behalf, money towards projects that compensate for your emission damage. For instance, an oil or airline company may donate $15 million annually to an organisation that reforests land or improves carbon capture operations. Companies like Delta Airlines during 2017 – 2019Continue reading “Define the term carbon offsetting: an absolute joke.”

Solar geoengineering: the techno-fix to climate change, but for the better?

What is solar geoengineering? Solar geoengineering is an umbrella term for numerous approaches dedicated to cooling or simply suppressing the increase in atmospheric and land temperature, by reflecting solar radiation (electromagnetic radiation from the sun) from the earth back into space. Reflecting radiation from the sun would lower the earth’s global temperature, enough to permitContinue reading “Solar geoengineering: the techno-fix to climate change, but for the better?”

Factory farm operations in low socio-economic, indigenous, and black communities.  

We all know factory farming is cruel, produces cheap meat (for good reason), and is the supporting foundation of many large fast food chains and supermarkets. What many of us fail to realise is that this very industry – the one that’s supposed to provide food for our society – is also a major social injustice culprit affecting thousands of poor, indigenous, and black communities around the globe. Read more to find out how…

Climate injustice: how unfair is climate change and who is responsible?

What is climate injustice? Climate injustice refers to how certain areas of the world or even communities within the same country, will experience different effects and severities of climate change. The injustice in this, however, is that countries of the lowest socio-economic and political status – those that have done nothing to ignite climate changeContinue reading “Climate injustice: how unfair is climate change and who is responsible?”

What is bilge dumping and why has it gone unnoticed?

What is bilge dumping? Bilge dumping is an illegal practice where cargo vessels and tankers release bilge water into the ocean. Bilge water is present in most modern vessels fueled by heavy oil. This toxic liquid is thick, oily sludge and extremely hazardous to marine life. Bilge tanks are located in “the lowest compartments ofContinue reading “What is bilge dumping and why has it gone unnoticed?”

The dark side of electric cars – part two.

What are cancer villagers? As the name may suggest, cancer villages are areas where cancer rates exceed national or global averages. This is often because of industrial and/or agricultural contamination of nearby land. In 2013, Chinese NGOs and the media suggested there were over 459 of them spread throughout the country. One of the mainContinue reading “The dark side of electric cars – part two.”

The huge environmental, social and health implications of meat and dairy.

The environmental impacts of meat & dairy: According to the Science Journal, eliminating meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your environmental footprint. If we were to stop consuming meat and dairy, we could save over 75% of farmland globally. For context, that’s a land size equivalent to China, the United States,Continue reading “The huge environmental, social and health implications of meat and dairy.”

The global implication of desertification.

What is desertification? Desertification is a form of land degradation where productive and fertile land becomes arid; incapable of supporting biodiversity. This can occur through natural land “evolution” or human activity increasingly impacting the climate and natural habitats. Farming cattle can often cause deforestation and overgrazing, 2 prominent contributors to desertification. Other practices/operations like largeContinue reading “The global implication of desertification.”

Your grass lawn is a global disaster.

What’s the issue with grass lawns? Grass lawns found predominantly in first-world countries have become a staple in landscaping and development, occupying huge amounts of land and resources. Whilst the immaculate grass lawns look impressive, the history behind this obsession carries a dark past and has dominated vast amounts of land that could otherwise beContinue reading “Your grass lawn is a global disaster.”

Could hemp be used to combat human environmental chaos?

What is hemp?Hemp is a part of the Cannabis sativa class and is often associated with marijuana; a plant used for medical and industrial purposes. Hemp was first grown in central Asia as early as 280 BCE and used in ancient China to grow and produce foods, textiles and paper. Hemp sits alongside bamboo asContinue reading “Could hemp be used to combat human environmental chaos?”