TreeSisters and reforestation

July 24, 2019

In March 2019 the UN declared a Decade of Ecosystem Restoration and aims to reforests 350 million ha (around 865 million acres) by 2030. The advantages of restored ecosystems are many – slowing down global warming by capturing and storing carbon, increasing rainfall,...

Soil Conservation

May 24, 2019

Soil conservation measures 95% of the world’s food is produced on soil One-third of the UK’s soils are degraded One million hectares (36% of arable land in the UK is at risk from erosion. According to the UK environment secretary, Michael Gove, in some parts of the...

Cyclone Idai

April 19, 2019

Cyclone Idai struck Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe in March 2019 affecting up to 2.6 million people. In Mozambique, some 1.85 million people have been affected and in Malawi around 900,000. Around 130,000 people have been displaced in Mozambique, and around 90,0000...

Venezuela: How and Why Did It All Go So Wrong?

March 6, 2019

Venezuela was, until relatively recently, one of the richest countries in Latin America. Due to its vast oil reserves, and the revenue they brought in, they were able fund food subsidies health care and education programmes. Under the presidency of Hugo Chavez...

Falling Fertility – Good News or Bad News?

February 13, 2019

The global total fertility rate (the average number of children born to a woman during her reproductive life, at present rates) is now 2.4. According to Sarah Harper, former director of the Royal Institution, falling fertility is to be encouraged. She believes that...

Brumadinho Landslide in Brazil

February 6, 2019

The Brumadinho landslide occurred on 26 January 2019 in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. To date, around 60 bodies have been recovered from the Brumadinho landslide but almost 300 are still missing. Although bodies were recovered it proved very difficult to...