Climate | Westminster World

Feb142022 by Caitlan King and Saffron Cutts (Sub-Editor)No Comments

How Fast Fashion is impacting Chile’s Atacama Desert

Breaking News, Climate, clothes, Environment, Explainers, Fashion, Worldnews

Fast Fashion is having a negative impact on the environment more than ever as popular online brands grow to keep up with the latest fashion trends. This explainer dives into the consequences that fast fashion is having in Chile and what we can do to minimise those consequences. Original Article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-60249712

Countdown from 24: Solar terms in Beijing Winter Olympics

Breaking News, Climate, Culture, Explainers

2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Credit: Weibo.com Speaking of the countdown to the opening of the Olympic Games, what else can you think of besides numbers? At the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, general director Zhang Yimou creatively used a new countdown method - using the traditional Chinese 24 solar terms instead of numbers to express the pass of time. The day of the opening ceremony is the first of the 24 solar terms, "Lichun", which means the beginning of spring. It is also the inspiration of this idea. What are the 24 solar terms? The 24 solar terms are specific days in the Chinese lunisolar calendar that represent the changes of natural rhythm. There are four seasons of the year, three four seasons, and two solar terms per month. Each solar ter...

How will the government level up life expectancy?

Breaking News, Data Journalism, Explainer, Explainers, Health, Obesity, Science

We have now received the highly anticipated Levelling Up white paper, which will set out how the government will level up those parts of the country left behind. What does this mean, and how will it tackle the issue of geographic differences in life expectancy across the UK? The phrase used by politicians to refer to the process of fixing this issue is ‘levelling up.’ Behind the rhetoric are very real issues severely impacting people’s lives. Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, visits Grimsby. Credit: Simon Dawson (CC) What does levelling up mean? The House of Commons Library defines a left-behind area as somewhere with "low pay and employment" that leads to "low standards of living." As a result of these factors, the health of a region may also be impac

Air pollution hitting deprived and POC communities hardest

Climate, Environment, Extinction Rebellion, extinction rebellion, Health, London, London Mayor, Politics, protest, Science, Transport, UK news, urban

Air pollution burdens low income and communities of colour resulting in major health risks. Source: Unsplash The British Heart Foundation found that 15 million Brits are exposed to toxic air. The majority of which are people of colour and those within deprived communities; a report conducted by Natural England in 2019 revealed Britons who are POC were exposed to particulate matter pollution rates at 19-29% higher than White Britons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt2OIcQ-7y8 Environmental racism is a form of systematic racism where communities of colour are disproportionately burdened with health hazards through policies and practices that force them to reside near or around polluted areas. Environmental Justice is not simply highlighting the discrepancies b...

‘Trickling away to nothingness is not inspiring for me’: Should the UK legalise assisted dying?

Adults, Breaking News, Explainers, Health, News, NHS, Opinion, Politics, Science, UK news, Worldnews

Assisted dying is currently illegal in the UK. It is being debated in Parliament and about to the enter the committee stage. The right to end your own life has always caused controversy, and this bill could see the UK follow other countries by legalising euthanasia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFOBkAlpAYo Credit: Politics.co.uk, Youtube The bill would enable terminally ill adults to end their own life with those providing assistance avoiding prosecution. This legislation could be seen as a solution to the issues surrounding palliative care, something that many feel is lacking. However, when people are in so much pain, should they have autonomy over their own lives and when to die? Polls taken on the issue of assisted dying consistently demonstrate that the majority of the pu...

Mar92021 by Lubna bin ZayyadNo Comments

Why sustainably sourced palm oil matters for the world

Animal Rights, Breaking News, Climate, Environment, Explainer, International, Worldnews

https://youtu.be/r3J3_v5E5m0 Palm oil is found in 50% of all supermarket products, from food to cleaning items to cosmetics. This includes things like bread, chips, chocolate, dish soap, floor cleaners, lipstick and even ice cream. Though affordable and versatile, this shelf stable crop oil is not stable nor sustainable for the environment, including humans and animals. The environmental cost for harvesting crop oil includes deforestation, displacement and degradation of local wildlife populations and even allegations of sexual abuse and forced labour on plantations. Some countries have responded by placing bans on palm oil, but is that the right solution or is there something else that needs to be done?

Mar82021 by Editor2No Comments

“The Great Reset” Explained

Business, Climate, economy, Environment, Explainers

What is the "Reset" all about? The world economy has suffered extreme blows by the pandemic, a proposed plan to reset may change everything. But is it for the best? “You will have nothing, and you’ll be happy.” This quote has been thrown around as if it is at the core of the World Economic Forum’s pitch for “The Great Reset”. Is that really what is at the core of the reset? Will we hit a button that evens everyone out so we all start from zero? Not exactly. “The Great Reset” is actually reseting the way we think about things. Capitalism seems like the enemy to many, but with the proposed shift, capitalism may be able to benefit the people it has ousted in the past. This reset would aim to fix the many problems facing us as a society today: econo

Mar82021 by Beatrice NerliNo Comments

Are electric cars worth the price? Pros and cons of plug-in vehicles

Climate, economy, ed-tech, Environment, Explainer, Explainers, Explainers, Law

Electric cars are becoming more common than ever in British roads, and they are also becoming a much more realistic alternative to gas fueled options. Everyone is talking about it, but a lot of people is still reluctant. The major reason? The price to pay upfront. Courtesy of Tesla, 2021 When talking about purely electric vehicles the first name that comes to our mind is Tesla. The company run by Elon Musk is considered to be the pioneer of this range, with four cars in the market and two on the way, promising a budget vehicle that could cost just 25’000$ in the next three years. With the improvements of battery lives, lower prices and the expansion of the charging network, 2021 becomes the best year to switch to an EV. It is essential to recognize that electric vehicles are

Dec122019 by Juliane SonntagNo Comments

Heaviest storm in Icelandic history

Breaking News, Climate, Environment, Natural Disaster, News, Science, Travel, Worldnews

A bombogenisis (fast evolving) cyclone hit Iceland last night, causing damage throughout the country and cutting off the island. Up to 118 mph was the predicted wind speed by forecasts along with heavy snowfall. The air pressure dropped from 1005 hPa to 980 in only 19 hours before the storm hit the country. The weather alert was set to yellow, orange and even red. It was the first time in Icelandic history that a weather warning of the highest level was released since the new weather alert system had been introduced several years ago. The red alert affected the region of the Westfjords, a very exposed area in the northwest of Iceland, where the storm was suspected to be the worst. People in the whole country were advised to stay home. Forecasters especially recommended to avoi...

Dec92019 by Tong WuNo Comments

‘The Air We Grieve’: Extinction Rebellion block a central London road to demand Action on deadly levels of air pollution in London

Breaking News, Climate, Environment, Extinction Rebellion

Extinction Rebellion protesters have blocked Cranbourne Street outside Leicester Square Station to demand the next government tackles “deadly levels of air pollution” in the capital. The demonstration, called 'The Air We Grieve', involved 25 breeze blocks glued to the road to symbolize the number of Londoners who died each day as a result of air pollution. ‘Three Demands Bill’ Extinction Rebellion is asking all candidates to support the 'Three Demands Bill' and act now to protect our families, communities and the environment. The 'Three Demands Bill’ calls for the following: 1.Tell the truth: declare a climate and ecological emergency and communicate the urgency for change, including working with media and other institutions 2.Act now: halt biodiversity loss and