Do you lie awake at night thinking about food shortages, conflicts over vanishing resources, nature loss and mass migrations? I was spurred on to create this blog (and accompanying podcast) after receiving a voice message from Kalina, who told me: “I get really anxious about the environment…I just really worry about some of the global …
My experience of the Rhone Glacier got me thinking more about “last chance tourism”. Is it an indulgence or could it play a role in helping people become more attuned to environmental issues? So I knocked on the door of someone who has been seriously studying it. Dr Emmanuel Salim is a geographer working in …
Read more “Does last chance tourism help us think about the environment?”
Switzerland is a country where global warming is visibly and dramatically impacting on the landscape. But how does the experience of seeing these changes affect the tourists who flock to Switzerland every year? The Rhône Glacier is perhaps the most prominent example of melting glaciers in Europe, and in the last few decades it’s been …
It’s difficult to ignore the disconnect here – with highly mobile international students rubbing shoulders with others who have directly experienced the effects of climate change. This disconnect is particularly striking when observed in our relatively small international student community, but it highlights a global question: why do we carry on producing large carbon emissions when we know these are damaging the lives of others?
As climate change progresses, more non-native species will be visiting our shores, our woodlands and fields – our rivers and trees. How people react when they encounter these new arrivals may determine our success in managing them. Without that management, our local flora and fauna, our food supplies and our health may be at risk. …
Read more “Alien species – the climate change invaders in your garden”
Recently, I was asked to develop some “green” communications for my university department. I had two two climate conscious students, our wonderful Sustainability Champions (Hannah and Sage) to help me. Together, we hoped to shift the attitudes of students and colleagues in a more environmental direction. But what sorts of communications might help achieve that? …
Today (20th March) is the Spring equinox for 2025 – when the hours of daylight are the same as the hours of darkness – and Spring has officially started. As well as the daffodils and crocuses, you may also be noticing some changes in the behaviour of animals around you. Perhaps you’ve been hearing the …
Around 18% of the UK’s carbon emissions are from how we heat our homes – usually using a good old gas boiler – but these are on their way out and low carbon alternatives such as heat pumps are coming in….except not everyone is getting pumped about heat pumps. Despite the availability of grants, take …
Read more “Pumps and bumps on the road to low carbon heating”
Why is climate change now cropping up in peoples’ thoughts around family planning? In a recent global survey, more than 39% of young people reported climate change was making them feel hesitant about having children of their own. And this echoes similar reports for adults in the USA, Canada, New Zealand, and Europe: Those more …
For most of us, getting our food is one of those chores that’s best completed as quickly and as cheaply as possible – usually via a trip to the local supermarket or ordering a home delivery. But, with the EU throwing away more food than it imports, are there alternatives for consumers to access food …