Every year, as the countdown to summer intensifies, Cornwall basks in the limelight, its charm captivating the imagination of holidaymakers. In 2022, it ranked in the top ten most searched-for holiday destinations on Google and expects over five million tourists annually. The region’s allure seems unstoppable, fuelled by the resounding popularity of cultural sensations like… Continue reading Potemkin towns — Cornwall’s hidden housing crisis
University campuses around the world have become the site of tiny tent cities in recent weeks, with student activists protesting the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Though the protests on Australian campuses have been largely peaceful, tensions are starting to rise. There have been allegations of hate speech and clashes between student groups in recent days.… Continue reading What is it about Gaza? Wars are raging around the world, so why are young people so passionate about this one?
What if you never saw the stars again? In fact, you have probably never seen a real night sky in your entire life due to the damage that urban areas have on the light. We all find a starry night mesmerising. So why do we all ignore the immense issue that is progressively getting worse… Continue reading Let there be night! What is light pollution?
Record low sea ice in late 2023 led to breeding failures in one-fifth of Antarctica’s emperor penguin colonies. Record low sea ice in late 2023 led to breeding failures in one-fifth of Antarctica’s emperor penguin colonies. Emperor penguins suffered mass breeding failures due to record low sea ice in 2023, according to scientists with the… Continue reading “We’re predicting that we’ll lose around 99%” — emperor penguins face extinction by 2100
Electric vehicles (EVs) are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions — and air pollution — from transport. Is this view correct? Yes — but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the recent boom in EV purchases, they are still a tiny minority of the cars on the road. We would get more immediate benefit… Continue reading Electric vehicles will start to cut emissions and improve air quality in our cities — but only once they’re common
For the first time in its 170-year history, the V&A held an exhibition that centred solely on African fashion. Fashion has long been seen and taught as centred in Europe, with Japanese designers occasionally highlighted as international non-Western exponents. The fashion education experienced by students often relies on a design cycle that has not changed… Continue reading Why the V&A’s Africa Fashion exhibition was important — and long overdue
There are only around 22,000 lions left in Africa, compared to about 100,000 not many years ago. Kruger National Park has some of the best access to wild animals in all of Africa and is possibly the most famous game reserve on the continent. South African National Parks—SANParks—has acknowledged that poachers have poisoned lions in… Continue reading Lions in South Africa’s Kruger Park are being poisoned by poachers who want their body parts
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has joined hundreds of cities and counties across the country in declaring racism a public health threat. On 8 April 2021, CDC director Dr Rochelle P. Walensky called racism an epidemic that affects “the entire health of our nation”. Declaring racism a public health threat will create… Continue reading Declaring racism a public health crisis brings more attention to solving long-ignored racial gaps in health
Homelessness is reaching record highs in the UK. The latest statistics on statutory homelessness show that in March 2023, 104,510 households — including over 131,000 children — were living in hotels, hostels, B&Bs and the like. But disabled people are particularly affected by homelessness, as our new report, commissioned by the Centre for Homelessness Impact,… Continue reading Disabled people are disproportionately affected by homelessness — and getting support feels ‘nearly impossible’
The European Commission is taking legal action against Hungary at the European Court of Justice (ECJ), escalating a longstanding dispute over the country’s anti-LGBT laws. This is an unprecedented step for the EU, but it isn’t a sure win for LGBT rights in Europe—and even has the potential to endanger them. Hungary (under prime minister… Continue reading EU sues Hungary over anti-gay law — what it could mean for LGBT rights in Europe
