There is a strong link between economic activity and global carbon dioxide emissions, due to the dominance of fossil fuel sources of energy. This coupling suggests we might be in for an unexpected surprise due to the coronavirus pandemic: a slowdown of carbon dioxide emissions due to reduced energy consumption. The effect
It’s shocking, but right now, 70% of monitored rivers are too polluted to swim in. Companies like Ravensdown are driving industrial dairying and making our rivers sick, all so they can make a quick buck. Use of synthetic fertiliser has increased 627% since 1990 and in that time the dairy herd
The 100-million-year-old burrows confirm that bees diversified alongside early flowering plants. A new fossil find has set paleontologists abuzz: Ancient nests confirm that bees were alive and well in Patagonia 100 million years ago, marking the oldest fossil evidence for modern bees. The nests, described recently in the journal PLOS ONE, consist
Experts welcome example of nation once drinking more per head than any other. The world’s toughest controls over the promotion of sugary drinks, brought in by a nation beset by obesity, have cut purchases by nearly a quarter in two years, research has shown. Instead of a sugar tax, which
Three million people in the Asia Pacific region must be lifted out of hunger each month, over the next decade if the region is to meet Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG) of zero hunger by end 2030, says a new UN report. While “substantial advances” have been made in the region
Renowned Kiwi-born chef Robert Oliver has cooked up what he hopes will be a life-saving recipe for Pacific Islanders. He is putting his experience on My Kitchen Rules New Zealand to good use with Pacific Island Food Revolution (PIFR), a cooking show aimed at encouraging Pacific Islanders to return to eating traditional foods.
With a climate changing faster than most crops can adapt and food security under threat around the world, scientists have found hope in a living museum dedicated to a staple eaten by millions daily: the humble potato. High in the Peruvian Andes, agronomists are looking to the ancestral knowledge of
At the 74th session of the UN General Assembly this month, 2021 was declared as the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. The proposal recognises the need to promote sustained and inclusive economic growth, foster innovation and provide opportunities, benefits and empowerment for all and respect for all human rights.
African ministers agreed to make the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) the region’s forum for developing regional environment policies with mechanisms for implementation. The Conference focused on the need for African countries to pursue global and regional frameworks and policies to achieve the SDGs and Africa’s Agenda 2063
A bio-plastic made of organic fish waste that would otherwise end up in landfill, with the potential to replace plastic in everyday packaging, has landed its UK graduate designer a James Dyson award. Lucy Hughes, 23, a recent graduate in product design from the University of Sussex, sought to tackle the
Greenhouse gas emissions could be halved in the next decade if a small number of current technologies and behavioural trends are ramped up and adopted more widely, researchers have found, saying strong civil society movements are needed to drive such change. Avoiding deforestation and improving land management could reduce emissions by the equivalent
The world has a unique opportunity to stem the tides of climate change, ensure future food security, protect biodiversity, and make healthier diets widely accessible, according to a new global report. With the global population expected to increase by two billion in the next 26 years, food insecurity is a
“Cultural policies today provide innovative responses in areas such as inclusion, technical and vocational education, employment, the preservation of cultural heritage and biodiversity,” Assistant Director-General for Culture at UNESCO, Ernesto Otonne, said. Speaking to some 200 international participants gathered in Italy’s Parma for the gathering, entitled, “Culture and Food: Innovative Strategies for
New reports from beekeepers say that the first months of 2019 have seen losses of 400 million bees in the state of Rio Grande do Sul alone, as well as 7 million in São Paulo, 50 million in Santa Catarina and 45 million in Mato Grosso do Sul, making a
(CNN) — Whether it’s bringing foraging to the forefront of the culinary landscape or finding ways to make familiar flavors stand out, chefs across Africa are pushing the envelope when it comes to food. Meet three African chefs who are taking cuisine on the continent to new heights Heritage food in
NENTÓN, Guatemala — To understand why President Trump’s new sanctions and other flailing to end Central American immigration aren’t working, step into the dark, melancholy hovel of Ana Jorge Jorge. She lives in Guatemala’s western highlands in the hillside village of Canquintic, near the town of Nentón, and she’s a
