Writer Ben Dolbear examines the poor government response to the devastating Australian bush fires. It has emerged that senior figures in the Australian government spent months ignoring warnings by climate activists about the potentially perilous effects of rising carbon dioxide emission levels. Since September last year, mega blazes have destroyed homes and wildlife in each one of Australia's six states, with the human death toll rising to 25 and tens of thousands of koalas perishing. Kangaroo Island, once seen to be a safe haven for the symbolic marsupials because its population avoided deadly epidemics, has now become host to a 'virtually unstoppable' fire, with charred koala and kangaroo corpses spread across the land mass, which sits off the mainland of South Australia. In response, Australia's conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said that casting blame on him and 'over-analysing' the situation is unhelpful. Despite this statement, the Prime Minister who once denied climate change was playing a role in the unprecedented blazes is now facing calls to resign after it has emerged that climate activists attempted multiple times to warn him and his government against embarking on a systemic over-reliance on burning fossil fuels months before the fires began. Back in April, Greg Mullins, who recently served as Fire & Rescue Commissioner for New South Wales and now speaks for the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action group, wrote to the Prime Minister requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the impending bush fire season and the contributing factor of climate change in its severity. When this request was denied, he wrote again immediately after Morrison's May election win, and was again ignored. Mr Mullins commented, 'it has been difficult and the Prime Minister has seen fit not to meet with us'. Mr Mullins now says that had Mr Morrison's government responded to his letters earlier in the year, his long-term recommendations of lesser reliance on fossil fuels and short-term suggestion of leasing more large aircraft tankers may have resulted in less devastation in the country today. 'I get quite emotional thinking about it because I've seen so many people lose their lives and homes over the year', Mr Mullins said. It is the argument of Emergency Leaders for Climate Action that Australia, which is responsible for 7% of global fossil fuels exports despite housing only 0.003% of the world's population, has been taking advantage of its very low commitments in the Kyoto emissions Protocol to exploit natural resources un-sustainably. 'Mother Nature is not fooled by dodgy accounting, she just sees the CO2 go up'. Back in October, despite consensus agreement amongst opposition parties, the government rejected calls to declare a climate emergency, dismissing the proposed move as 'hollow symbolism'. We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and acknowledgement about topics that matter. Ethical insight, one place. We are non-profit and funded by readers like you. | To support our work and journalism, please donate.

Writer Ben Dolbear looks at the decision by one of the world's largest companies to silence employees on climate change action. Photo by Daniel Eledut A group of Amazon employees has gone public in claiming that Amazon, the multinational corporation worth over $900 billion, of attempting to silence them on climate change. Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, a group of Amazon workers who believe that it is their duty to ensure that the company's business model does not contribute further to the climate emergency, have claimed that legal and HR representatives have contacted several of its members saying that they were in breach of Amazon's policy on external communications. Maren Costa, who works in user experience design at Amazon, said in a statement that, '[t]his is not the time to shoot the messengers. This is not the time to silence those who are speaking out'. Bernie Sanders, Senator for the US state of Vermont and presidential candidate, has expressed support for the campaign by hiring two of its representatives to be in his latest campaign advertisement. Employees who have been calling for Amazon to do considerably more on climate change, particularly in relation to CEO Jeff Bezos' commitment to unsustainable fossil fuel extraction, are, according to Amazon, in breach of an established rule which states that employees cannot make public comments in relation to the company. However, an Amazon Employees for Climate Justice spokesperson has claimed that Amazon changed their policy in September in response to the activists' public criticism. Employees, according to Amazon spokesperson Jaci Anderson, are now required to fill out a lengthy form on an internal website to seek approval for public commentary. Last May, thousands of employees were rebuffed by Amazon bosses when they presented proposals for a comprehensive climate change plan to reduce carbon footprint. Just last week, the Amazon activists claimed that Google and Amazon were working together to help Exxon, the oil and natural resources corporation which infamously ignored its own climate research for decades, to look for new oil in an attempt to 'profit off the planet's destruction'. We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and acknowledgement about topics that matter. Ethical insight, one place. We are non-profit and funded by readers like you. | To support our work and journalism, please donate.

Writer Katie Byng-Hall looks closer at the reasons attributed to the latest climate catastrophe. Since September 2019, fifteen million acres of forest in New South Wales, Australia has been destroyed by wildfires: an area around the size of Belgium. As well as the detrimental impact on Australia’s wildlife, a smoke haze ten times thicker the safe level for humans to breathe in has descended on Sydney. The smoke has travelled so far that glaciers in New Zealand have begun to change colour. This coincides with Australia's hottest ever day being recorded at 41.9C. And yet, is the world really paying this crisis enough attention? Animal Casualties Probably the most talked about consequence of these fires is the death of 8000 koalas – around 30% of New South Wales’s population of the marsupial. This is because they are too slow to be able to escape the blaze as it tears through their habitat. Koalas are not the only animals to have fallen foul of the fires, and some species are even more threatened. Indeed, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney estimates that in some areas affected by the fires, up to thirty rare plant species and thirty rare animal species may have been lost in just a few months.One species which is at severe risk of being the next victim of this trend is the regent honeyeater. It is believed that almost 500 million animals have been killed in the blaze, as well as at least eight people. 50% of the nature reserves in the Blue Mountains, the only surviving home for the endangered birds, were destroyed in November and December alone. With no sign of the blazes abetting, there’s a high risk of the 250-400 remaining specimens of the species not being alive when the fires eventually die down. 48% of the iconic Gondwana reserves, which incorporate rainforests that have existed since the time of the dinosaurs, have now been burned to the ground. We can only imagine how many species could have been destroyed in such a richly biodiverse habitat which can never be restored. Political Inactivity Despite the huge threat to a large proportion of Australia’s forests, and indeed to the population and their homes, the Prime Minister Scott Morrison seems alarmingly unphased. In 2013, the section of the government created to address global warming, the Climate Commission, was abolished. Since then, former members of the Commission have formed the Climate Council, a non-profit organisation providing independent information and advice about climate change. Despite the Council’s expertise, Morrison has refused to meet with them since the outbreak of the fires, suggesting he has little regard for the preservation of the country’s habitats. Such a laissez faire reaction to large-scale blazes evokes a disconcerting sense of déjà vu: Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro had similar responses to the fires in California and the Amazon respectively. Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, a climate scientist with the University of NSW’s Climate Change Research Centre, has condemned the leaders’ behaviour, saying politicians are “burying their heads in the sand while the world is literally burning around them”. You would think the “healthy emergency” of the smoke in Sydney, which has caused a 25% increase in people visiting emergency departments for asthma and breathing problems, would be enough to kickstart government action, but it looks like leaders across the world are becoming desensitised to crises such as this. Normalisation of Catastrophe In fact, this desensitisation may extend to more than just leaders. The fires in California in 2018, which threatened the homes of celebrities like the Kardashians and Miley Cyrus, prompted a much more outraged and widespread reaction on social media than those currently burning in Australia, yet the former only destroyed an area just over a tenth of the latter. It seems that disasters in Western countries combined with celebrity is the only way to capture the attention of the public when it comes to climate crises. Climate change experts say these fires should act as another wake-up call to governments and populations across the planet that radical action needs to be taken to counteract global warming before more habitats, and more human lives, are lost. We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and acknowledgement about topics that matter. Ethical insight, one place. We are non-profit and funded by readers like you. | To support our work and journalism, please donate.

Writer Katie Byng-Hall takes a closer look at the amazonian crisis Huge companies in the UK are sourcing their produce from the Amazon and the areas surrounding it, thus contributing to the destruction of one of the Earth’s most biodiverse and beautiful habitats. Britain as a nation is fuelled by fast food. McDonald’s serves 3.5 million customers per day, while Burger King provides for upwards of 90 million customers every year. Amazonian Agriculture The primary use for the land in around the Amazon is agricultural production. This industry is detrimental to the planet. 80% of global deforestation is in aid of agricultural expansion, which is also the leading cause of habitat loss. Producing animal products is the biggest problem, with 60% of greenhouse emissions from agricultural production originating in animal agriculture. On top of this, Brazilian farmers’ method of clearing land in the Amazon by setting fires led to widespread blazes across the rainforest in 2019, with 2.5 million hectares of the forest being destroyed in August 2019 alone. This would not have happened had the agriculture industry not been so prevalent in the area.The commodities most linked to deforestation are cattle, palm oil, and soya, all of which are manufactured in the Amazon, and are bought by British companies. Burger King sources beef from the Amazon, and KFC sources some of its meat from there as well. In 1986, McDonald’s promised not to source from the Amazon any more, but back-tracked in 2016. They are operating under a Zero Deforestation Plan, meaning they only source goods when no deforestation is required to produce them, but it is arguable that this isn’t enough to justify sourcing produce from such an environmentally important and vulnerable area. The Problem of Soy Soy is one of the less talked-about crops included in agricultural production, but in the case of the Amazon, it’s one of the main causes of deforestation. Since 2010, the area planted with soy in Brazil has increased by 45%. Much of this soy is owned by Cargill, one of the world's biggest producers and distributors of agricultural produce. Britain imported 394,000 tons of soy from Brazil in 2015, roughly 70% of which was bought from Cargill. One of the company’s biggest clients is McDonalds, who sources the majority of its soy chicken-feed from the supplier. In 2007, soy traders including Cargill agreed to stop sourcing from the Brazilian Amazon, but the area is still affected as they now grow their crops in the nearby Bolivian Amazon and Brazilian savanna named the Cerrado. An area twice the size of Greater London has been razed in the Bolivian Amazon every year since 2011. Even when the Brazilian Amazon is out of bounds, companies still find a way to destroy the world’s invaluable habitats to meet the growing demand for soy. How to Make this Stop Mass consumption of meat has become a feature of consumerism which threatens the Earth’s forests. You can refuse to participate in this by changing your habits. You may choose to stop eating meat or animal products altogether. This will contribute, even the tiniest bit, towards fighting the rise in deforestation and emissions. If this isn’t an option for you, instead boycott companies such as Burger King and McDonald’s who source from the Amazon. Try cooking your own delicious meals using meat and soy alternatives, ideally from British farmers, thus reducing your carbon footprint. It's clear to see detrimental effect that agricultural production has on the Amazon, and it's time to start pressuring companies to stop sourcing from there. Through refining your consumer trend and lifestyle the natural habitats across the world have a better opportunity to thrive. We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and acknowledgement about topics that matter. Ethical insight, one place. We are non-profit and funded by readers like you. | To support our work and journalism, please donate.

A helpful guide to help you on your way to this wonderful plant based diet. Written by Ellie Chivers, Photo by Edgar Castrejon. Veganuary launched in the UK in 2014, with 3,300 people signing up to a trial of the vegan lifestyle. Each year, the phenomenon has grown astronomically. In 2019: "A record-breaking 250,310 people from 190 countries registered for the month-long vegan pledge says; veganuary.com." If that many people can do it, how hard can it be? The jump to veganism is big, no matter your current diet, but here are some tips to make the transition a little smoother: 1. Vegan Mindset The best way to launch yourself into veganism is to stock up, so you’re ready and raring come January 1st. Having noodles, beans, rice, pasta and spices to hand will encourage you to whip up hearty vegan dishes. Keep reminding yourself why you’re committing to this – it will be demanding, but remember your reasoning. 2. Slow AndSteady Some people can make the transition immediately, but for others, the change will come gradually. Both are completely okay. If the latter applies to you, try cutting out meat in the first week, fish in the second, and dairy in the third. It’s all about going at your own pace, and what will encourage the lifestyle to stick. 3. Friends And Community If you have a friend who’s happy to help out, that’s great! Having a cooking buddy will inject some fun, as well as having someone to share ideas with. Failing that, there are many vegan communities that would be delighted to assist. Whether that’s online, or in a local village hall; just one person, or a big group, having that supportive network will cushion your transition into veganism. 4. Get Creative A brand-new diet is a fantastic excuse to experiment with dishes. A great way of doing this is through vegan cook books, or online – there are all sorts of recipes targeted at both the competent cooks, or those who can just scrape beans on toast. 5. Veganise Your Favourites While it is a thrill to make some impressive new-fangled meals, you may miss some comforts. Why not veganise your favourite foods? Swap the beef patty for beans in your burgers, the chicken pieces for tofu in curries and stir fries, and the cheese for a dairy-free version for pizza. Making these little but impactful changes is a brilliant start. Subscribe to be the first to know about the release of our first edition digital magazine. 6. Vegan Meat Substitutes Look at the back of meat substitute packets – like vegetarian sausages, burgers and pies - some of the brands that make these products are vegan too. Furthermore, you can emulate that perfect BLT with tempeh, and there’s lots of meat dishes that can be veganised with a touch of tofu. 7. Protein Priority Stripping away the meat and animal by-products takes away some vital protein (which are found in both amimals and plants based food), essential to build muscle mass and energy. It’s important to replace what might be lost with essential plant-based (much healthier) protein sources. Chickpeas, beans, lentils, peas, quinoa – to name a few – all have that much-needed protein content. 8. Stack Away You may find that many vegan meals aren’t as calorific. That means it’s totally okay to snack, especially while your body is detoxing and getting used to the change. Pick up some extra fruit or treat yourself to a scrumptious vegan chocolate bar. 9. Vegan Markets & Festivals As veganism grows, so do the vegan markets - try out not just vegan food, but also gifts, beauty, skincare and clothes. Visiting a vegan market is a wonderful way of getting inspiration before or during your Veganuary journey. If you can’t find a local vegan market, try local Sunday markets or Christmas markets – many have vegan stalls too. 10. Motivation Reminder Remember why you decided to take these steps, and what it means to you and the benefits. Whether your motivation was for your health, helping the environment for natures animals. We hope that by following these tips, they will help your transition go more smoothly. We are a pro-consciousness publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and acknowledgement about topics that matter. We are charity and funded by readers like you. To stay up to date, please subscribe to our newsletter. To support our work and journalism, please donate. | Tru.

Writer Ben Dolbear Investigates Italy's new Climate Conscious Curricular Photo by Geronimo Giqueaux Italy has become the first country in the world to include lessons on climate change to the school curriculum. State schools will, from the academic year beginning September 2020, be mandated to dedicate at least one hour of classes each week to sustainability and climate, regardless of class grade. The move follows a year of changing attitudes in Italy. On 15 March, young environmentalists put the country in the world spotlight after drawing 475,000 people, many of whom had skipped school, to the first global climate strike in the streets of Rome, Milan, Turin, Florence, Naples, Bologna and Bari. Education minister Lorenzo Fioramonti has said of the updated curriculum that, 'sustainable development is the greatest challenge that our generation is facing', pointing out that the youth around the world have taken a lead on this issue. The news comes at a time when record flooding has brought misery to Venice and an estimated recovery bill of £800 million. Water levels in the city remain at the highest levels in half a century, with local authorities declaring a state of emergency. Last week Venice Council offices were flooded moments after representatives rejected a plan to fight climate change in the city. Curriculum changes are not only focused on the new sustainability classes. In addition to this, the traditional core subjects from geography to mathematics will be taught from the perspective of sustainable development. Mr Fioramonti commented , "The entire ministry [of education] is being changed to make sustainability and climate the centre of the education model. I want to make the Italian education system the first education system that puts the environment and society at the core of everything we learn in school". Whilst a curriculum to reflect the climate crisis is crucial, however, some activists have expressed concern that the changes do not pervade the entirety of society. Climate change classes are just one step in a cultural shift in Italy which has seen support for plastic taxes and school climate strikes surge. Edoardo Zanchini, vice president of Legambiente, Italy’s leading environmental group, said that climate responsibility should not just be passed on to children, commenting, "Science tells us the next 10 years are crucial. We cannot wait for the next generation". This reflects words from Greta Thunberg at September's UN climate summit during which she said , "I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean". We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and acknowledgement about topics that matter. Ethical insight, one place. We are non-profit and funded by readers like you. | To support our work and journalism, please  donate .

Kate Byng-Hall Reveals New Innovative Ideas Supporting Carbon Capture Photo by Dexter Fernandes Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology have devised a way in which carbon dioxide released during industrial processes can be converted back into a solid product at room temperature. The Institute has said that turning CO2 back into coal is like “turning back the emissions clock”, and could mitigate the damaging effects of fossil fuels on the environment. Carbon Capture A process is already in use at some powerplants called carbon capture and storage (CCS).  This process aims to capture CO2 either before or after the combustion of fossil fuels, converting it into a liquid-like form which is then transported either by pipeline or tanker to offshore storage sites where it remains underground permanently. While this method does subvert the greenhouse gas from polluting our atmosphere, it comes with its drawbacks.  CCS is very expensive: it costs approximately $2 billion to equip a powerplant with the necessary infrastructure to carry out the process, and then a further $1.7 million for every kilometre the CO2 has to be transported.  This means that plants have to be situated relatively close to storage sites for the process to be worth carrying out: it’s not a viable method to be applied universally. Additionally, a single tiny leakage at any stage in the CCS process itself or in the transit of the consequent product would render the whole effort futile.  Considering the risk and cost involved, it’s not a viable solution to the problem of CO2 emissions. The New Method The researchers at RMIT have formulated a similar technique to CCS, but which could eliminate a lot of its disadvantages.  In their method, CO2 is dissolved in a mixture of a liquid metal and an electrolyte liquid, then an electric charge is added, causing the CO2 to form into flakes of solid carbon which can then be collected and stored or used. While this sounds quite a brain-scrambling procedure, the important thing is that it can be conducted at room temperature, meaning it expends less energy in its conduction than CCS, and is also much more cost-effective.  The carbon product could also potentially be used as components in vehicle engines or in various other areas, so it may not have to be a fruitless activity. Could Liquid Metal be the Key? In this new carbon capture technology, the liquid metal catalyst is a key component as it allows the process to be conducted a lot more efficiently than in its absence.  The importance of liquid metal could emerge as a running theme in environment-preserving ideas. Organisations such as the ARC Centre for Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies are looking into how liquified metals can be used as catalysts in processes such as the aforementioned CO2 conversion, as well as clearing other pollutants, and decontaminating water. Metals used in these processes, including gallium, indium, bismuth, and tin, are so easy to make into liquids that the conditions could just about be replicated in a domestic kitchen in an oven or on a hob that can reach 300°C. It seems that the utilisation of liquid metals could be a new avenue to pursue to try and combat climate change and pollution.  Who knows what other similar discoveries could be just around the corner? We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and acknowledgement about topics that matter. Ethical insight, one place. We are non-profit and funded by readers like you. | To support our work and journalism, please donate. | Tru.

Nature and Environmental Writer: Katie Byng-Hall Takes A Closer Look At Iceland's Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir Photo by Martin Jernberg The people of Iceland have elected Katrin Jakobsdottir, the 41-year-old chairwoman of the Left-Green Movement, as their Prime Minister. The former education minister is a self-proclaimed environmentalist, who is aiming to turn the country around after a period of scandal in Icelandic politics, as well as tackle the ever-worsening problem of climate change. Jakobsdottir has pledged to set Iceland on the path to carbon neutrality by 2040, and has already taken action to make this a reality. She has appointed Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson - CEO of Landvernd, the largest nature conservation and environmental NGO in Iceland - as the country’s Minister of Environment. It is very unusual for a non-MP to stand as a cabinet member, but many think that appointing a genuine environmental expert demonstrates Jakobsdottir’s dedication to counteracting climate change. Iceland’s Climate Policy In 2015, Iceland joined Norway and the EU in a plan to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. They also pledged to reduce emissions by 20% by 2020 as part of Kyoto Protocol. There are multiple ways in which the country plans to achieve these goals. Firstly, they want to reduce overall emissions. Iceland already doesn’t use fossil fuels to produce electricity, but they have a large carbon footprint from transportation and infrastructure. They are working to move over to green energy for transport, improve infrastructure for electric cars, and make the running of State bodies carbon neutral. Secondly, they are helping other countries work on becoming more environmentally friendly too. They are doing this by being part of the Green Climate Fund, a scheme run by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) since 2010. The Fund, which has 194 member countries including Iceland, providing financial assistance to help developing countries adapt to reduce their carbon emissions. The country is also trying to improve their observation of their habitats and climate. They want to make their data and forecasts more detailed, implement a closer monitoring system for their glaciers, and improve the level of awareness on the issue of climate change in the country. Slovakia Joins the Environmental trend On 15th June 2019, Zuzana Čaputová was elected Slovakia’s first female president. At 45 years old, she is also the youngest person to become president, and she aptly brings a range of progressive ideas to the role. Before becoming president, Čaputová was a lawyer and environmental activist. She supports LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive rights, and she focuses on enforcing an anti-corruption ideology. Her role is mainly ceremonial, but she can block motions and appoint top judges as well as being the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. With this power, she hopes to eliminate the corruption that has been rife in Slovakia for many years, and implement a fairer justice and environmental policies. Change in the UK So, can the UK learn something from Iceland’s approach? Britain is part of the same plan as Iceland to reduce emissions by 40% by 2030, but our government doesn’t seem to be paying it as much as attention as Iceland’s is. In 2008, the UK government released the Climate Change Act which outlined plans to reduce carbon emissions by 100% by 2050 compared to the 1990 rate. They aimed to do this through boosting renewable transport, implementing carbon budgeting, and a variety of other methods. However, what with Brexit and various other political disasters in recent years, climate action seems to have been put on the back-burner. Perhaps what our country needs is a Prime Minister like Jakobsdottir who will prioritise the future of our planet. We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and acknowledgement about topics that matter. Ethical insight, one place. We are non-profit and funded by readers like you. | To support our work and journalism, please donate. | Tru.

Nature and Environmental Writer: Katie Byng-Hall Investigates The Rise Of Slovakia's First Female Leader Photo by Bálint Kulcsár | Taken at High Tantras, Slovakia On 15th June 2019, Zuzana Čaputová was elected Slovakia’s first female president. At 45 years old, she is also the youngest person to become president, and she aptly brings a range of progressive ideas to the role. Before becoming president, Čaputová was a lawyer and environmental activist. She supports LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive rights, and she focuses on enforcing an anti-corruption ideology. Her role is mainly ceremonial, but she can block motions and appoint top judges as well as being the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. With this power, she hopes to eliminate the corruption that has been rife in Slovakia for many years, and implement a fairer justice system. Progress for the Progressive Slovakia has been a typically conservative country for decades, but Čaputová’s win in the election by 58.4% of the vote reflects a shift away from populism and religious conservatism, and towards pragmatism and sensible policies. Her popularity among voters can be mainly ascribed to her vow to “stand up to evil” within her country, meaning that she wants to undermine the political and legal corruption which was allowed to occur under the previous president, Andrej Kiska, and which caused outrage among many Slovakian citizens. Her appointment is also significant progress for women in Slovakia. They are currently ranked 83rd out of 149 countries included in the Global Gender Gap Report 2018, rated especially poorly regarding women’s participation in politics. Čaputová’s leadership could spell advancement for women’s status in the country as a whole. Erin Brokovich of Slovakia Čaputová’s leadership could also bring improvement in the country’s approach to the environment, as she has been an environmental activist for many years. In 2016, she won the Goldman Prize for an environmental campaign she spearheaded. Her work led to the closing of a toxic waste dump near her hometown of Pezinok. The waste was poisoning surrounding soil, air and water, and also caused acceleration of certain diseases in the nearby area, including one type of leukaemia which rose to eight times the national average. This work has since encouraged similar environmental activism in the country, and has earned her the honorary title of the “Erin Brokovich of Slovakia”. European Environmentalism Čaputová’s election reflects a Europe-wide trend of increasing support for environmentally conscious candidates. Since the European elections earlier in 2019, 70 out of the 751 MEPs in the European Parliament belong to the Green party, up from 51 in the previous Parliament. In Britain alone, Green candidates received 12.5% of the vote in the European election. More pressure on nationwide authorities to take notice of environmental crises could be enough to kickstart some much-needed progress. Like Sven Giegold, a senior German MEP, says, concern about climate change now has to be “no longer just symbolic, but concrete”. Zuzana Čaputová’s presidency could be a step towards this becoming a reality. We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and acknowledgement about topics that matter. Ethical insight, one place. We are non-profit and funded by readers like you. | To support our work and journalism, please donate. | Tru.

Nature & Environmental: Writer Ben Dolbear Tells Us About The Impact Climate Change Is Having On Iceland And Beyond. Photo by Keri Melich The Icelandic people have held a funeral for a glacier, the first well known glacier to be lost to the climate crisis. Okjökull, once located on the volcanic mountain Ok in western Iceland, has also received tributes from the NASA Earth Observatory. It is the first glacier in Iceland to have lost its status as a glacier, and has drawn to the collective attention of the world's people the immediacy and pace of climate change. In August, the anthropologists, Sigurðsson, and other climate carers hiked to a point on Ok and affixed the plaque to one of its rocks. Written in by author and poet Andri Snær Magnason: Ok is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier. In the next 200 years all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path. This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you will know if we did it. August 2019 | 415 ppm CO2 Okjökull decreased in size throughout the twentieth century, and was officially declared dead in 2014. In 1901, it is estimated that the glacier spanned an impressive area of fifteen miles, shrinking to under two by 1978, according to aerial photography. Today, less than 1 square mile (0.5 kilometres) remains. According to NASA, 'Glaciers form from snow that becomes compacted into ice over time. The ice then creeps downslope under its own weight, helped along by gravity'. In the case of Okjökull, its thinning has progressed at such an alarming rate so as to render the flowing of ice impossible. Iceland has 400 glaciers, and experts are predicting these could all disappear by 2200. The glacier was part of the Langjökull group, one of eight regional groupings of glaciers, all of which are expected to disappear in the next two hundred years. The trend is global. A paper produced in 2017 suggests, the European Alps have lost 54 percent of ice area since 1850, whilst Bolivian glaciers have lost almost 50 percent of their mass in the past 50 years, furthermore glaciers in the Himalayas and Canada are also reseeding quickly. We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and acknowledgement about topics that matter. Ethical insight, one place. We are non-profit and funded by readers like you. | To support our work and journalism, please donate. | Tru.

Nature and Environments: Writer Katie Byng-Hall Sheds Light On Trumps Controversial Plans For Alaskas Natural Treasure Photo by Christina Donald Trump has ordered the US Department of Agriculture to open up a significant portion of the Tongass Rainforest in Alaska to potential logging, mining, and other corporate ventures. 5.7 million acres of the National Forest, which is 16.7 million acres in total, has been designated a protected wilderness since 2016, but Trump’s plans could threaten up to 9.5 million of the remaining acres of trees. Tongass, the world’s largest temperate rainforest, was first designated a National Forest by Roosevelt in 1902, and now spans 500 miles across Southeast Alaska. The forest is home to 70,000 people, as well as many endangered species including black and brown bears, Sitka black-tailed deer, and Northern Goshawks. The area has been protected by logging restrictions for 20 years, but Trump seems eager to undo this for the sake of yet more commercial ventures. “Forest Management” In 2001, just before leaving office, Bill Clinton instigated the “roadless rule” in Alaska, meaning 58.5 million acres of forest were blocked off from being felled to make way for the construction of roads. Since a 2016 study found that 962,000 acres of the Tongass’ trees would be suitable for commercial timber, Trump has been intent on reversing Clinton’s legislation. He has labelled these new plans as his version of “forest management”, although it would be more accurately described by many as ‘forest destruction’. It’s not just the Tongass which Trump is targeting. As it stands, 80% of public land in Alaska is currently set aside for public use. However, Trump wants to change this, and offer up 28.3m acres of the state’s public land to commercial redevelopment. Déjà Vu? These proposals bear a startling similarity to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s approach to his country’s native Amazon Rainforest. His purely capitalist stance on the rainforest, which has been exposed to the world as a result of the devastating fires earlier this year, means he actively encourages loggers and farmers to clear trees from the Amazon. Jair Bolsonaro is said to have rejected a $20million donation from the members of G7 Summit. Despite collective rage about this from across the world, Trump appears to want to emulate Bolsonaro’s policy. His plans haven’t been confirmed yet. In September, the US District Court for the District of Alaska placed a preliminary injunction on the proposed logging of 42,500 acres in the Tongass as they stated that the operation would cause irreparable damage to the area. The court additionally prohibited the opening of any bids or awarding of any contracts related to logging in Tongass. However, the United States Forest Service has announced plans to open up sales of 2.2 million acres of the forest in March for logging and road construction, a move which might not be stopped. If this goes ahead, it could spell the beginning of a very slippery slope which sees Trump and big business people get their way, but only at the severe detriment of even more of the Earth’s rainforest. We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and acknowledgement about topics that matter. Ethical insight, one place. We are non-profit and funded by readers like you. | To support our work and journalism, please donate. | Tru.

Societal and Consciousness Writer: Katie Byng-Hall Investigates The Wider Attributions Surrounding The UN Report Photo by Daryan Shamkhali The UN has released a report into how the world can battle climate change through becoming more sustainable, in order to inform their GSDR (Global Sustainable Development Report). Biophysicists at the BIOS Research Unit in Finland have drawn damning conclusions about our society, stating that climate change cannot be combatted if capitalism continues to be the dominant structure of the world's economy. Capitalism is a system geared around generating profit as the top priority. Competition is a key element of the system, meaning that companies generally eliminate any factors which reduce profit in order to keep up with their rivals. As renewable energy resources have a low EROI (energy return on investment), meaning that they cost more to use than fossil fuels, companies often overlook more sustainable options for the sake of not losing money. The Finnish researchers have condemned capitalism's frequent assumption that fossil fuels are always readily available and cheap, and have urged states to initiate “strong political governance” to transform their countries' economic structures to be more conscious of the environment. Economic Transformation The UN report states that capitalism is “inadequate” to cope with the world's current environmental “turmoil”, but there “no widely applicable models have been developed specifically for the upcoming era” to replace it. Presently, 80% of the world's energy supply comes from fossil fuels, but the Earth's natural ecosystems which can support this demand are diminishing rapidly. One method to deter companies from excessive use of fossil fuels is through carbon pricing. This is a system whereby companies are charged for all the carbon dioxide they release into the atmosphere, meaning that they save money as they reduce their polluting activity. This system helps to stimulate research into low-carbon technology to satisfy company bosses. Practical Changes The report concluded that global energy use needs to be reduced because there is not enough time to simply replace all fossil fuel with renewable energy. The scientists put forward some key areas in which radical change is required to reduce the world's carbon emissions. City planning needs to be altered so that public transport is less necessary.Importing and exporting goods needs to be reduced so that less transportation is required.Plant-based diets should take precedence over meat and dairy consumption.Buildings should be developed from long-lasting wood as opposed to concrete and steel.Air-conditioning and heating systems should be used less in buildings. Local Over International One of the key proposals that the report highlights is that developing countries should focus on producing goods to satisfy their own needs rather than exporting produce cheaply to other countries. In order for this to happen, big companies must refrain from outsourcing their labour thousands of miles from where they are based in order to boost profits. Communities, especially developing ones, should be encouraged to be “self-sustained” instead of participating in the “international free trade”. The report states that “individuals, organisations and nations should approach the economy as a tool to enable a good life rather than as an end in itself”: people around the world should have opportunities to earn a living using renewable energy in their local area. Some developing countries are already making a concerted effort to become more sustainable. In 2017, carbon-neutral energy production stood at 114 gigawatts in the world's developing countries, while industrialised countries produced only 63 gigawatts; Chile was the country with the fastest growing producer of renewable energy. In the same year, 54 developing countries invested in wind farms, but China and India remain heavily reliant on coal for energy. It is incredible that developing countries are putting so much effort into becoming greener, but this success will pale into insignificance if the rest of the world doesn't follow suit. Emissions must be reduced across the globe, and capitalist companies have to make the biggest changes for this to be achieved. While it is debatable if humans can ever abandon capitalism altogether due to our natural competitive instinct, it is undeniable that the way we approach our energy usage must change before we destroy the planet for the sake of profit. We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and acknowledgement about topics that matter. Ethical insight, one place. We are non-profit and funded by readers like you. | To support our work and journalism, please donate. | Tru.

Ellie Chivers Details The World's First Fully Vegan Everest Expedition. Photo by Eberhard Grossgasteiger There is a much-espoused myth about veganism that suggests the diet doesn’t support our bodies well enough and doesn’t provide the nutrients we need to be healthy individuals. Well, if anyone can prove that wrong – it’s Kuntal Joshier. Joshier recently made history by becoming the first person to climb Mount Everest with an 100% vegan kit, right down to his sunscreen and toothpaste. Joshier isn’t unknown in the world of mountaineering, with his first Everest climb being in 2016. He returned for his second attempt earlier this year, in the wake of founding his own sustainable clothing brand, ‘Save the Duck’, and designing mittens with the help of a local tailor. His nutrition and food were a key factor in helping Joshier overcome the climb, with fresh cooked meals such a vegan pizza, and the meal replacement Nutrimake being standouts in his diet. Joshier told Great Vegan Athletes: “I sit down with the cooks and make them understand why I am doing this. Once they know my animal rights angle, they are very supportive of it. “My hope is that the next bunch of vegan climbers go climbing with the same agency they won’t have to face these same problems. They would just have to say, ‘We are vegan’, or ‘We are like Kuntal!’” Joshier may have made the climb look easy, but it was not without its challenges. Weather conditions were against his group, battling the bitter cold and aggressive winds; Joshier described some as turning into “local tornadoes.” Not once did Joshier’s vegan ways let him down, however. He told Great Vegan Athletes: “In a way, I'm happy that I chose [to climb] the Tibet side, which is known for its notorious weather – wind and cold, since it allowed me to demonstrate that vegan food and gear can work in some of the most hostile conditions on the planet. Not just survive, but actually thrive.” During one particular night, the wind was so brutal that it blew Joshier’s tent into his face while he was inside it, despite the tents being surrounded by surac walls. The incident left the tent poles broken and Joshier and his tentmates in an incredibly claustrophobic and frightening environment. However, despite the fear, Joshier remembers how his synthetic clothing helped him out a great deal during the situation: “During this entire ordeal even though our tent was half torn I never felt cold once. Thanks to the nice sleeping bag and Save the Duck suit.” Joshier’s inspiring story goes to show that there is no limit to the physical challenges a vegan can endure and prosper in. No doubt his legacy will go on to encourage more mountaineers – vegan or not – to be more considerate with what they take on their next adventure. | Tru. 🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk 🌱We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here Sources: http://www.kuntaljoisher.com/ http://thevibe.asia/the-man-who-became-the-worlds-first-vegan-to-climb-the-mt-everest-against-all-odds/ https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.plantbasednews.org/.amp/culture/vegan-mountaineer-everest-animal-free-kit

Shaun Britton Takes A Closer Look At The Meat and Dairy Industries Who Are Restricting The Progress Of The Vegan Movement. The first fully vegan cheesemongers 'La Fauxmagerie’ opened in Brixton earlier this year, and enjoyed sold-out attendance at their opening. Yet shortly after they found themselves in the centre of a complaint from the dairy industry. The group 'Dairy UK', claimed the owners were misleading customers, unaware of EU regulations and demanded they stop using the word ‘cheese’ to describe their product. Is this a legitimate concern, or the latest of attempts from animal food industries to hold back the rising vegan market? Troubling Tales: Vested Interests And Biased Reporting The incident with the vegan cheesemongers is not, by any means, an isolated case. In 2017 in the US, Senator Tammy Baldwin surprisingly authored the ‘DAIRY PRIDE Act’ which sought to remove the words ‘milk’, ‘yogurt’ and ‘cheese’ from plant based alternative products, something farmers have petitioned the FDA with for many years. Whilst not only intimating that the general population can't figure out that soy milk doesn't come from a cow, the act romanticises the dairy industry as a noble quest for nutrition, swiftly jettisoning both its health concerns and dark underbelly from public consciousness. The ‘Just Mayo’ vegan mayonnaise saga, a similar event in the US, reads like the first few pages of a legal thriller novel. In a spend of nearly $60,000, the American Egg Board (AEB) planted egg product messages with influential bloggers and deployed targeted pop-ups to outrank and obscure searches for the product itself, or similar products online. Whilst an investigation concluded they made the comment in jest, internal emails in the AEB described ‘putting a hit out’ on the maker of the product, and getting ‘old buddies from Brooklyn to pay him a visit’. The events seemed to result in the early retirement of the AEB’s then CEO, after an investigation by the US Department of Agriculture. These examples are very common, and It's not just dairy either. A recent programme in Australia that aired on Channel 7 titled ‘The Big Beef’, a piece about vegan advocates and activists was criticised for its misleading and potentially inflammatory language and biased reporting, with one of the key participants describing at as ‘ridiculous biased garbage’. Further investigation uncovered that the chairman and owner of Channel 7, a multimillionaire, has his own cattle empire, reportedly at one million hectares. Echoes of the past? In Victor Hugo's classic novel ‘The Hunchback of Notre-Dame’, the archdeacon directs the eyes of two visitors from the book on his table to the silhouette of Notre-Dame Cathedral in the distance and states ‘This will destroy that. The book will kill the edifice’. Perhaps, the real concern of the industries seeking to curtail or control the growing vegan movement, is less about wording and more about knowledge. The truth of the animal industries is cleverly obscured. And as the printing press threatened existing structures by the spreading of books, perhaps the vegan movement threatens existing industries with the spreading of truth. | Tru. 🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here Sources: 1.) Horton, H. (2019). UK's first vegan 'cheese' monger is misleading customers, dairy industry complains. [online] The Telegraph. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/02/11/uks-first-vegan-cheese-monger-misleading-customers-dairy-industry/ 2.) Currentaffairs.org. (2019). Tammy Baldwin is Great, Just Not for Cows | Current Affairs. [online] Available at:https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/12/tammy-baldwin-is-great-just-not-for-cows 3.) Mohan, G. (2019). The egg industry launched a secret two-year war against a vegan mayonnaise competitor. [online] latimes.com. Available at: https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-egg-board-investigation-20161007-snap-story.html 4.) Plantbasednews.org. (2019). Billionaire Tycoon With Meat Industry Links Chairs TV Company Behind Anti-Vegan Documentary. [online] Available at: https://www.plantbasednews.org/post/billionaire-meat-industry-links-chairs-tv-company-anti-vegan-documentary 5.) Hugo, Victor Marie. Notre Dame de Paris. Vol. XII. Harvard Classics Shelf of Fiction. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1917

Nature and Environmental Writer: Emma Smith Investigates The Source Of Another Environmental Side Affect Of Plastic Photo by ViniLowRaw We are all aware of the harmful impact plastic has on our environment, and recycling is an imperative part of all our day-to-day routines. However, we are now facing the consequences of previous years spent overlooking this problem. Tiny particles called micro-plastics are littering our planet and the reason we may not be aware of them is because they are not always visible to the human eye. In 2015 420 million tonnes of plastic was produced As a result of this astronomical statistic micro-plastics have been found in animals, drinking water, oceans and the Arctic. Studies show that on average humans ingest 50,000 micro-plastic particles every year; this carries health risks which are yet to be fully uncovered. Out of all the plastic produced, only 9% is recycled This means that the remaining 91% is left to slowly decompose. This plastic ends up going into the air, land and water, which is where micro-plastics come from. It’s estimated that a Styrofoam cup takes 50 years to biodegrade, and a plastic water bottle takes 450 years. It’s important to know that even biodegradable plastics can still turn into micro-plastics. But the astonishing findings that have puzzled researchers mostly are the presence of micro-plastics in some of the most remote places on earth. Studies have found plastic in rainwater from the Rocky Mountains and in snow samples from the Arctic and the Alps. Specifically, in the Arctic Svalbard Islands researchers found 10,000 plastic particles per litre in the snow samples. Melanie Bergman of Germanys Alfred Wegner Institute told the BBC: “It’s readily apparent that the majority of the micro-plastic in the snow comes from the air.” Micro-plastics are severely dangerous to animals, once ingested they can lead to starvation and death. Only last year a record-breaking concentration of micro-plastics was found trapped in the Arctic sea ice. The most common plastics found are: · Polymer based protective coatings · Rubber · Polyethylene · Nylon Author and chemist with the U.S Geological Survey Gregory Wetherbee, says the findings are a wake-up call. He also told The Guardian: “There’s more plastic out there than meets the eye. It’s in the rain, it’s in the snow. It’s part of our environment now.” Approaches tackling the prevention of toxic micro-plastics are fairly new. However, in September 2018 MEP’s approved a plastics strategy that aims to increase the recycling rate of plastic waste in the EU. And in October 2018, Parliament backed an EU ban on certain single use plastic products. It’s certain that more research into the health risks and hindrance of micro-plastics needs to be done. Reducing single use plastic items, strengthening waste collection and designing products that are easier to recycle are only the current short-term goals. We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and acknowledgement about topics that matter. Ethical insight, one place. We are non-profit and funded by readers like you. | To support our work and journalism, please donate. #plastic #particles #environmental | Tru.

Nature and Environmental Writer: Katie Byng-Hall Investigates The Concerning UN Report And The Factors Surrounding It Photo by Louis Moncouyoux The UN has released a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which reveals that climate change is threatening the world's food supply. The report, compiled by 100 experts from 52 countries in the UN, states that land and water resources across the planet are being exploited at an “unprecedented rate” for the sake of food production. Global warming has a multitude of detrimental effects on the food supply chain. The warming atmosphere is boosting extreme weather conditions, soil loss, and land degradation. Rising temperatures are cutting crop yields and harming livestock. Higher CO2 levels are reducing foods' nutritional values. All of these changes are having a drastic effect on food supplies, predominantly for people living in developing countries who can't afford the higher prices. 815 million people, 10.7% of the world's population, is undernourished, and this will not be helped by these agricultural crises. Decreasing Biodiversity Another UN study, this time by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, reveals that climate change is also affecting the world's biodiversity. Biodiversity can be defined as the quantity and richness of the species and genetics in an area, something which is currently being threatened. The most significant reason for this decreasing biodiversity is the increased use of chemical pesticides and herbicides in commercial agriculture which is having an adverse effect on the quality of soil. Pollution can also be a factor that harms biodiversity. In the last two decades, 20% of Earth's vegetated land has lost productivity due to decreasing soil biodiversity – the trend is now for uniformity, but this isn't good for the environment. Increasing Emissions As well as being affected by climate change, the agriculture industry is a significant contributor to it itself. Land is continually being repurposed to accommodate for food demand. The process of deforestation, as well as reducing trees to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, releases emissions equivalent to 600 million cars per year. The process of draining wetlands to reveal peatlands is especially detrimental, with carbon dioxide normally contained within the earth being released at the equivalent of 6000 gallons of gasoline per 2.5 acres. 20% of all emissions from land-use changes come from the cultivation of peat-lands alone. It is well-known that cattle produce an enormous amount of harmful methane when they are reared for meat and dairy, but the other sources of greenhouse gas production from the agricultural industry are often overlooked. With threats to the environment of this magnitude, combined with an ever-increasing global population, solutions must be found. Ecological Solutions The IPCC report states that “changes [to the climate] threaten to exceed the ability of the agriculture industry to adapt”, but there are things to be done which may help to remedy the current calamity: 1. Reducing deforestation would protect biodiversity. 2. Improving soil health would allow it to store more carbon. 3. Improving agricultural intensification, namely increasing the number of crops grown in every acre, would mean less rapid loss of land is required. 4. Reducing waste of food but in production and in shops would lessen unnecessary demand. 5. Working to prevent wildfires would protect crops and reduce massive releasing of carbon dioxide. 6. Persuading people to eat less meat, specifically cattle products, would reduce releasing of methane, and deforestation. These changes would be hugely difficult to implement, and they still might not be enough to prevent the food industry from harming the planet while providing for the entire population. It is not an exaggeration to say that the world is currently undergoing a food crisis and yet, at least a quarter of all the world's food is wasted. Something must be done. We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and acknowledgement about topics that matter. Ethical insight, one place. We are non-profit and funded by readers like you. | To support our work and journalism, please donate. #health #nutrition #plantbased | Tru.

Health and Nutrition: Writer Katie Byng-Hall Explores The Benefits Of A Plant Based Diet And The Reasons Around Why It's More Than A Trend. Photo by Alexandra Andersson A study has been conducted in America, finding that following a plant-based diet can help minimise susceptibility to health and heart problems. The research, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, monitored 10,000 middle-aged Americans over almost 30 years, and made some significant discoveries recommending the plant-based lifestyle. There has long been the belief that including little to no meat in your diet can reduce the risk of dying from a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular disease, and this study seems to substantiate this. Analysis of the research subjects showed that those who abided by a plant-based diet were 16% less likely to contract a cardiovascular disease, and 32% less likely to die from such a disease. What is a Plant-Based Diet? A plant-based diet can in actuality include a small amount of meat and dairy; this is called a semi-vegetarian or flexitarian diet, and can also be beneficial compared to a regular omnivorous diet. However, a fully-fledged plant-based diet, arguably the cleanest and most ethical way to eat, consists of only fruit, vegetables, grains, pulses, legumes, nuts, wholegrains, and meat substitutes such as soy. Because of the high nutritional value of foods derived from plant sources, following this diet gives you a good intake of fibre, vitamins, and minerals such as vitamin C and potassium. The clean-eating lifestyle can also reduce the risk of getting type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and some forms of cancer such as breast and prostate cancer. Like any diet there is the potential to be unhealthy while following a plant-based diet, and to become deficient in some vital minerals without eating meat or dairy. However, it is easy to replace this deficit by making sure to consume fortified plant milks, iron-rich pulses, spreads and cereals. Eating solely plant-based foods can be a plausible way to live while maintaining a balanced diet. Numerous Benefits Sticking to a plant-based diet has a positive effect on the environment as a whole as well as your own health. It is estimated that a 100% vegan or plant-based diet uses a third of the land, fresh water and energy that a diet including meat and dairy does. Meat production accounts for 90% of the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest, so by abstaining from contributing to the meat and dairy industry, you can do your bit to preserve the 'Earth's lungs'. Heart problems are a significant threat, with 7.4 million people in the UK having heart disease, 900,000 having heart failure, and 170,000 dying of a heart attack every year. As this study has shown, a plant-based diet could be the factor that saves you from this fate, so why not try to improve your chances? In a world where the environment is in danger, meat is increasingly being highlighted as an unethical and unsustainable diet to follow, along with obesity on the rise, it seems sensible to choose a lifestyle which can combat these issues. We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and acknowledgement about topics that matter. Ethical insight, one place. We are non-profit and funded by readers like you. | To support our work and journalism, please donate. #health #nutrition #plantbased | Tru.

Mental Health and Mindfulness Writer: Ellie Chivers Talks About The Affect Climate Change Can Have On Our Mental Health Photo by Dawid Zawiła Ever heard of the term solostalgia? Well, if the answer is no – you’re not the only one. Let me ex-plain: the term, coined by Australian philosopher Glen Albrecht in 2003, is used to describe “the feeling of distress associated with environmental change close to home.” And while you may have never heard of the sensation before, solostalgia has become increasingly widespread since con-cern for our environment and our planet has skyrocketed. The climate crisis has put many new things into perspective, and has many people worrying about what the future holds – and rightly so. Angela Lertkiratikul wrote a devastatingly insightful piece on Odyessy, addressing something that I know I had felt for quite a while: “I do not want to bring a child into a world where Florida will most likely end up underwater once the majority of the ice sheets have melted. I do not want my child to grow up not experiencing fresh foods (or possibly starvation) due to the temperatures rising to the point where agriculture will no longer grow and food resources will be scarce. I do not want my child to live in a world where almost all living things -plants, animals, and especially, us- are dead.” While – like Angela – I know it’s a long way off before I’d even consider having children, I think her article sums up an underlying fear – an underlying solostalgia – even young people are experienc-ing. The earth has already changed and deteriorated so much since we were born, and it’s clear that isn’t stopping anytime soon; Angela writes in her article that the Breakthrough National Centre for Climate Restoration has posed that climate change is an “existential threat to human civilisation that could cause society to collapse by 2050 if we do not take the necessary actions to reverse this process.” It’s hard to imagine being responsible for other lives when we are directly linked to col-lapse of a whole planet. The fact that people are concerning themselves with their future lives and considering what action to take when contemplating events so far away is just a small reflection of how deeply the environmental crisis is affecting so many. You may also like: Eco-therapy: Mental Health And Nature Having said that, the effects of the climate crisis are already alarmingly visible. In Greenland, it is already having a detrimental impact on islanders’ day-to-day lives. 76% of those asked in a survey measuring the human impact of the climate emergency on the island said they have “personally experienced global heating in their daily lives. ” The term “ecological grief” has been used to de-scribe the PTSD sensation sweeping over those in fear of the weakening of our planet – and it’s very clear that the people of Greenland, and in fact across the world, are longing for a time when they could shop, eat, and live without fear they are putting their future on the line. Which brings us back around to the idea of solostalgia. I, too, in a strange way, miss those care-free days of picking up hundreds of cheap clothes and taking it all home in a plastic bag, blissfully ignorant to the toll that was taking on our planet. It’s a shame now that we do have to take so many drastic measures, and that still, so many people aren’t recognising the significance of the climate crisis. I worry that some people will never learn, I worry that I will never be able to have a family in such a volatile environment, and I worry that I’m going to see our beautiful Earth melt away before my very eyes. So yes, the climate crisis does have gigantic impact on people’s mental health. The only thing we can do? Save the planet. #climatecrisis #solostalgia # mentalhealth | Tru 🌱

Nature and Environmental Writer: Ellie Chivers Investigates The Growing Concern For Giraffes Photo by Taylor Lee Not long ago, I saw a meme circulating Twitter, with the premise of, ‘how are giraffes real and unicorns aren’t? What’s more believable – a horse with a horn or a camel with a 6ft long neck?’ Well, the sad but silent reality is, in the not-too-distant-future, neither may be real. The ICUN – or the International Union for Conservation of Nature and National Resources – have reported that two subspecies of giraffe (Kordofan and Nubian giraffe) are now listed as “critically endangered” , with another (Reticulated giraffe) falls into the “endangered” category. Giraffes have been considered ‘vulnerable’ by the ICUN since 2016, and only one subspecies – the Angolan giraffe – seem to be escaping danger, still being categorised under ‘least concern.’ Why Are Giraffe Numbers Declining? The simple answer? Us. Humans. The answer to many of the world’s problems. Jules Howard cites reasons for their upsetting disappearances in an article for The Guardian: “the conversion of grasslands to farmland, deforestation and the impact of civil wars, not forgetting the occasional crazed American tourist with a big gun fetish. Giraffes are now split across Africa into discreet populations that no longer mix – they are nine isolated islands of life being increasingly squeezed from all sides.” Jani Actman, writer for National Geographic, has also written a devastating piece on the desire for giraffe tails leading to an increase in their killings. Speaking to Leon Lamprecht, joint operations director for African Parks, “[men] use the tail as a dowry to the bride’s father if they want to ask for the hand of a bride.” Gives you the shivers, doesn’t it? Can We Do Anything to Help? If we’re the root of the problem, there must be something we can do to correct our mistakes. The solution has become clear through thorough conservation practices. Despite the number of subspecies falling into endangerment, West African and Rothschild giraffe numbers have been on the up. In an article written for India Today, the stats show that: ”The smallest subspecies of West African giraffes grew from just 50 in the 1990s to 400 today, thanks to immense work by the Niger government and conservationists.” However, the article also suggests that the need for giraffe conservation is often snubbed. It cites the focus on “rhinos, elephants and the illegal trade of pangolins” over the last ten years as the reason for this. For seven countries, this demoralising and shocking revelation is no revelation at all. Giraffes are already extinct in Eritrea, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Malawi, Mauritania and Senegal. Across the globe, as per Daniel Carrington’s The Guardian report, by 2016 we had already seen a 40% decrease in the number of giraffe. All I can say is, who knew? The ICUN’s report has certainly bought the drastic decline of giraffes to the forefront, and hopefully it will not be long before we can rescue giraffes from their unsettling state. #africa #giraffes #endangered | Tru. 🌱

Nature and Environmental Writer: Ebony Bolter Delivers Some Positive News From North America. Photo by Erin Wilson There has been an extraordinary environmental surprise. Due to the largest wildflower bloom in a decade, it is reported that a huge surge of monarch butterflies is to be expected in Texas. Despite there being a decline over a few years, the director of the USDA Scientists program states that “Figures show the highest number of hectares covered since at least 2006,” with monarch butterflies being up by as much as 144%. These butterflies feed on milkweed, the importance of Texas and their accommodation of the species is crucial as they pass through in spring to lay their eggs on their way annual multi-generational migration to northern Mexico. Around Autumn time, the butterflies use two primary flyways. The first is a path from Wichita Falls to Eagle Pass that spans 300 miles. The second is along the Texas coast. While this is a positive year for the monarch butterflies, the species are still endangered. Xerces Society, an environmental non-profit claim that the monarchs in Mexico are 66% lower than it was in 1997. As a result, scientists are having to monitor the butterflies to see if the population is recovering. Factors including climate change and use of pesticides contribute to the dwindling number of the species. Yet, the biggest contributors are a lack of habitat, and where they spend their winters. Thus, more imperfect weather in Spring and Autumn is necessary to truly get a good representation of how the population is developing. This upward trend is positive for the species. Yet, this year is something of an anomaly and like other insects must be protected as one seasonal improvement is not a reflection of a general incline for the monarch butterflies. Public service announcement: if we look after our ecosystems they will look after us. #butterlies #nature #environmental | Tru. 🌱

Eboy Bolter Looks At China’s New Military Initiative To Plant 60,000 Trees. Photo by John Cameron In February 2018, China reassigned over 60,000 soldiers from their posts on the northern border to the mainland, and their new mission: Combatting air pollution. The regiment intends to plant 32,400 square miles of trees around Beijing, which is approximately the same size as the state of Utah, or the country of Ireland. Both the nation’s police force and a large regiment from the People’s Liberation Army (the armed forces of the People’s Republic of China) have been recruited to tackle the problem. The overall objective; to increase China’s forest coverage by 2% (from 21per cent to 23) by 2020. Then, to 26 per cent by 2035. Much of the planting will occur in the Hebei province, which is infamous for producing the smog that coats Beijing. Despite the new posts not being militarily in nature, the members of the armed force support the environmental plan. The industrial Hebei province suffers largely from air pollution and other northern provinces, especially during the winter months. With 6.66 million hectares of new forest, China can attempt to reduce their challenge their environmental reputation of being the world’s largest polluter. Shockingly, they produce nearly double the amount of carbon dioxide than the U.S., which is the world’s second-biggest polluter. Beijing’s socio-economic devastation: This air problem has damaged crops, closed schools and forced parts of the affected area to become a standstill. Unsurprisingly, parents are worried about sending their children outside to play due to breathing problems being caused by levels of potentially deadly pollutants, sometimes reaching up to 40 times the recommended exposure limit in Beijing. These fears are warranted. Studies show that children exposed to high levels of air pollution can cause permanent lung damage. In 2013, a Deutsche Bank report was released showing that air pollution is predicted to worsen by 70 per cent by 2025. Since the Paris climate change agreement was made in 2017, China is asserting its leadership within the field of climate change. Chinese President Xi Jinping stated climate change is “[…] a responsibility we must assume for future generations” at Davos last year. This complements China’s attempts to enforce more renewable energy by investing humungous amounts of money in research and utilisation of solar and wind technology. Along with this, they are coming to the fore to be the world leaders in electric car development. “Honey melons hang on bitter vines; sweet dates grow on thistles and thorns” A seemingly fitting metaphor from an old Chinese poem perfectly exemplifies the knife-edge of environmental concern and technological developments. Whilst we are dealing with a plethora of life-altering, devastating environmental issues, the tech advances should be utilised as much as possible to cushion the blows. If our powerful military forces could come together through our World Summits to create copycat plans that are enforced in quick succession, we may be able to fight the common war that is our environmental problems. #dropseedsnotbombs | Tru. 🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/23/world/asia/pollution-is-radically-changing-childhood-in-chinas-cities.html https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa040610 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/china-tree-plant-soldiers-reassign-climate-change-global-warming-deforestation-a8208836.html https://www.greenmatters.com/news/2018/08/22/1PI1Ot/soldiers-in-china-will-plant-trees-to-fight-pollution https://news.vice.com/en_ca/article/j5bjvx/china-soldiers-trees-planting-beijing-pollution https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/07/bolsonaro-amazon-deforestation-exploded-july-data https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/tackling-wor

Ben Dolbear Looks At The Breaking UN Report Which Damningly Assesses The Western Meat-Based Diet. Photo by David Riaño Cortés A Cry For Radical Change A major report penned by 107 leading global scientists for the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has found that the Western world’s excessive consumption of meat and dairy products is speeding up the rate of global warming. Efficiency is a key theme running through the report, which argues that less land can be used for agriculture if people cut down the levels of meat in their diet. Land can also be used more effectively, it says, by storing more of the carbon that humans emit. Altering Lifestyles Half of the experts who have helped to compile the report, a summary of which was released on 8 August to help inform upcoming climate negotiations, hail from developing countries. This is significant as the report will be published in light of the news that deforestation is occurring in the Amazon rainforest at alarming rates as demand for meat spirals to unsustainable levels, with over 2,254 square kilometres cleared last month alone. Whilst ecologists like Hans-Otto Pörtner, who co-chairs the IPCC, stopped short of telling people what to eat because in some parts of the globe people have no choice, they stressed that those in rich nations have a duty to cut down the amount of meat in their diets, and emphasised that ‘politics [should] create appropriate incentives to that effect’. A Final Chance The deforestation to the Amazon that is happening as a result of excessive meat and dairy consumption, it has also been warned, will soon turn much of what remains of the rainforest into a ‘degraded type of desert’, releasing between 30 and 50 billion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere over the next half-century, a ‘very worrying’ prospect, according to Carlos Nobre, a climate scientist at the University of São Paolo. BBC data shows that agriculture and forestry account for more than one quarter of all greenhouse gases emissions on the globe, including through the methane gas that animals produce and deforestation to expand pasture land.  | Tru. 🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here Sources: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-49238749 https://www.ipcc.ch/ https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02409-7 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/07/bolsonaro-amazon-deforestation-exploded-july-data https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/tackling-worlds-most-urgent-problem-meat

Ellie Chivers on the elusive black leopard which has made a surprise appearance in Kenya. Photo by Oleg Magni Unicorns, phoenixes, mermaids – all animals of great mythical legend. And scientists had started to think the same about melanistic leopards…until Nick Pilford came across some pretty indisputable evidence. Since 1909, the only proof that these majestic animals roam the earth came from a photo snapped by Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Now, thanks to some camera traps in the Loisaba Conservatory and some excitable scientists on Pilford’s team, we have all the confirmation we need. Melanistic leopards are incredibly rare, something strongly enforced – much like the recently-rediscovered Ili Pika – by habitat destruction, with their range across Africa slashed by 66%. About 11% of leopards are melanistic. And, also much like the Ili Pika, they are simply beautiful creatures. Melanism is the opposite of albinism, so is the result of a gene that spurs an excess of black pigment on the skin or hair of an animal. Melanistic leopards are mostly found Southeast Asia where shade is plentiful, thus their melanism provides greater camouflage to hunt their declining prey. Spotting one in Kenya was then, understandably, a bit of a surprise - although sightings in the area had been rumoured, evidence was lacking. Pilford’s sighting was the first in 100 years in Kenya – where they are dubbed Black Panthers - and this young female cat was found in the shrub lands alongside a leopard thought to be her mother. The mother was normally coloured, so Pilford has suggested melanism does not affect familial bonding. There are still so many unanswered questions about the animal: for example, is the genetic mutation that causes melanism the same in Southeast Asian leopards and those found in Kenya? Access to the animal is so limited that it may be another 100 years before we truly know the answers. But, cases like these always have an underlying connection: there is always more discover and more to protect.  | Tru. 🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here Sources: https://choice.npr.org/index.html?origin=https://www.npr.org/2019/02/13/694308763/rare-elusive-black-leopard-caught-on-camera-in-the-wild https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/13/africa/kenya-rare-black-leopard-black-panther/index.html https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/animals/2019/02/african-black-leopard-seen-first-time-100-years

Ellie Chivers Outlines A Potential, Ambitious, Solution To The Climate Crisis. “We are in terrible, terrible trouble and the longer we wait to do something about it the worse it is going to get.” These are the words of Sir David Attenborough, spoken this month at the Spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC, warning those in attendance of the catastrophic effects climate change is guaranteed to have. We all should be worried. And we all should be doing things to limit the devastation. One man thinks he has found the solution. Not veganism. Not non-renewable energy sources. Trees. Ecologist Dr Thomas Crowther, alongside his team at the Crowther Lab, has found that planting 1.2 trillion trees could neutralise the CO2 emissions on Earth. This is on top of the three million trees our planet is already home to, yet Crowther insists there is still room for plenty more. And while reducing our meat intake and amount of non-renewable energy sources we use is still hugely important in limiting the effects of climate change, planting 1.2 trillion trees could cancel out almost ten years of anthropogenic emissions. The trees Crowther is proposing should be planted in “degraded or abandoned lands”, as reported in The Independent. But no doubt it will take time – according to Green Matters: “Unless all 7.53 billion people on earth planted 159 trees each, the process would likely take decades.” That being said, there is no denying that planting more trees is not only a hugely significant way of tackling climate change, it is also – as Crowther himself points out, reported in The Independent – a scenic one: “Trees literally just make people happier in urban environments, they improve air quality, water quality, food quality, ecosystem service, it’s such an easy, tangible thing.” Also in his speech, Attenborough warns: “We are supporting and subsidising the very things that are damaging our planet. The natural world is so delicate. It needs all the protection it can get.” The message is clear; do whatever you can, because something as simple as planting a tree can help our planet to thrive again when we all work together. | Tru. 🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here Sources: https://e360.yale.edu/digest/planting-1-2-trillion-trees-could-cancel-out-a-decade-of-co2-emissions-scientists-find https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/03/planting-1-2-trillion-trees-could-neutralize-co2-emissions-says-ecologist https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/07/05/global-effort-plant-trillion-trees-overwhelmingly-among-most-effective-and-cheapest

Ellie Chivers Predicts The Collapse Of The Dairy Industry. Photo by Pricilla Du Preeze Giving up dairy – something that sounds like an impossible challenge for a lot of people, myself included. How could we go without the frothy cow’s milk in our morning coffees, or the stringy cheese in our lunchtime toasties? But, as I sit here with my soya milk tea, it hits me how accessible the dairy-free way of life has come. And so many others have welcomed it with open arms too – which has knocked the dairy industry for six. Experts are now suggesting the dairy industry could completely die out, fating its disappearance in 10 years’ time. We have already seen the milk industry take a dramatic nosedive, with sales declining by 22% in the US between 2000 and 2016. Meanwhile, the popularity of dairy-free milk alternatives is on the incline, with a 9% increase in sales in 2018. But why is this happening? No doubt part of it is down to the major veganism movement – according to The Vegan Society, the search for ‘vegan’ quadrupled over 2012 and 2017, proving more popular than ‘vegetarian’ or ‘gluten-free’. The feeling towards dairy products has become increasingly more hostile, and this has had a huge impact on the industry. But it’s not just the vegans. Dairy is a health risk for lots of people. According to a 2016 report titled, “Global Lactose-Free Market 2016-2020’, “the sales of lactose-free products have doubled due to the increase in self-diagnosed lactose intolerance in 2014.” Not only that, but Live Kindly has reported that 75% of African-Americans are lactose intolerant. The health risks in dairy products is more evident than ever, with research suggesting its dangers dating back to the 1970s. This is not something which can be ignored for a vast portion of the population – which accounts for the 2016 report proposing that the sales of lactose-free products will: “double during the 2016-2020 period and reach revenues over USD 700 million.” If this article has been of interest to you, you may enjoy reading The Move Away From Meat. Brands are reacting to the trend, with Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s introducing dairy-free ice creams, and Hotel Chocolat releasing ‘free from’ chocolates. With all the wonderful alternatives out there – from the most basic daily essentials, like milk, to little chocolatey treats – it’s no wonder people are straying from the dairy, whether it poses a health risk to them or not. So, start saying your goodbyes to the dairy industry now – it seems as though it won’t be sticking around much longer. | Tru. 🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here Sources https://www.livekindly.com/dairy-industry-disappear-decade/ https://vegnews.com/2018/1/expert-says-dairy-industry-will-vanish-in-10-years

An Examination of the Benefits of Mushrooms, By Farihah Choudhury Food as medicine In the age of Berocca and paracetamol, the monumental advancement of pharmaceutical drugs in the 21st century has revolutionised the way we view and handle ill health. Although Nobel Prize winning pills and potions have vastly improved healthcare in many ways and improved human longevity and vitality, the downside of our solutions being boiled down to a miraculous white pill is that we have become detached with the power of nature to cure ailments. Instead of looking at the cause of colds or headaches we are inclined to just take an ibuprofen and get on with our day to day lives. However, addressing the issue with every day, natural remedies may provide long term preventative solutions to aches and pains, and bring us back to the healing capacities of the world around us. One of these such naturally sourced solutions is the humble mushroom, which can be foraged or purchased widely, and have a unique flavour profile and texture that makes them great in a variety of dishes and have made them known as the “meat of the vegetable world”. Marvellous mushrooms ‘Mushroom’ is the common name of the most widely cultivated species, the white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), which is where the standard name derives from – but there are ‘mushrooms’ that do not fit the standard mushroom morphology, such as morels and puffballs. Over 20 species of mushrooms are commercially cultivated. Mushrooms are a widely foraged food as they grow extensively and are distinctive in appearance. They provide a special taste profile of ‘umami’ which can be described as not savoury, not sweet – but something in the middle, despite having very low sugar and sodium content, which makes them a fantastic flavour addition to meals without adding unhealthy levels of nutrients, whilst counting as one portion of your 5-a-day guideline. Fantastic fungi Though raw mushrooms are 92% water, and not a good source of macronutrients in regular serving sizes (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) they provide a rich source of B vitamins B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin) and B5 (pantothenic acid). Mushrooms can also be a good source of Vitamin D2 though this depends on sunlight exposure during processing. A 100g serving also provides good amounts of potassium, phosphorus, copper, selenium and zinc. B vitamins are important for the energy release from food, and specifically B vitamins found in mushrooms are required for the normal functioning of the skin and nervous system. Mushrooms have been used medicinally for hundreds of years as they are thought to have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and other properties, but further evidence is needed to confirm these benefits. Five ways to incorporate mushrooms into your diet In a stir fry Grilled stuffed Portobello mushrooms Homemade mushroom burger-style patty Used to bulk up mince, risotto, pasta With scrambled tofu or eggs Tru. 🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here Sources: https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2482/2 Mushrooms nutrition breakdown Kohn, J.B. (2016) Are Mushrooms a Significant Source of Vitamin D? Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(9):1520 Miles, E. (2017) Requirements & Recommendations, Nutrition in Health & Disease Pt.1 Kamweru, P.K. & Tindibale, E. (2016) Vitamin D and Vitamin D from Ultraviolet-Irradiated Mushrooms (Review) International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms 18(3) Muszyńska, B., Grzywacz-Kisielewska, A., Kała, K., Gdula-Argasińska, J. (2018) Anti-inflammatory properties of edible mushrooms: A review. Food Chemistry, 243: 373-381 Chatterjee, S., Sarma, M.K., Deb, U. et al. (2017) Mushrooms: from nutrition to mycoremediation. Environ Sci Pollut Res, 24: 19480.

A Discussion on the Hope for an Alternative Future, By Shaun Britton Photo by Jenna Hamra A Machine Mind: The Birth of Factory Farming. The burgeoning Industrial Revolution brought the promise and eventual delivery of the concept of mass production. Similar to other industries at the latter part of the Industrial Age, machinery and automation gradually enabled animal farming operations to adopt a dramatic frequency and scale. Efficiency and demand overtook ethics and welfare, with animals viewed as commodities rather creatures. As factory farming developed, so did technology. Technology for accommodating investigative insight with the use of hidden cameras, brought with it reports of cruelty and raised the question of animal rights. The organisation Animal Equality has investigated over 700 factory farms and slaughterhouses in over 13 countries and concludes that hidden camera footage shows time and time again ‘that there is no such thing as humane factory farming.’ A Catalogue Of Cruelty: Inside The Modern Factory Farm. Any inquiry into factory farms will show that acts of cruelty are plentiful, and they are commonplace. According to the organisation Animal Aid, broiler chickens, selectively bred to quickly grow unnaturally large are at the behest of noisy, overcrowded sheds, where up to 40,000 birds may have only 670cm2 of space each. With issues such as legs burnt from excrement in the litter that releases ammonia, and deformities from rapid growth Investigations by VIVA have shown that many pigs endure steel farrow crates that are little bigger than their own bodies, with pigs enduring castration without anaesthetic - an entirely legal practice. Heartbreaking images of dairy calves separated from their mothers and each other, kept in tiny crates like those of a Dorset dairy farm, a supplier to M&S exposed by Animal Equality UK in 2017, is sadly all too familiar. Despite being recognised by an EU treaty as sentient beings with inner emotional lives, the suffering of animals is still everyday, and catastrophic. Some suggestions are that the antidote to the unerring cruelty of factory farms is ‘high welfare’ foods. In the all too sporadic instances where high welfare is actually observed, all animals will eventually meet the terrifying conclusion of the slaughterhouse, and all go through the process against their will. There is Another Way Every regrettable act or age recalled by humanity, has one enduring shared thread; the ignorance at the time to the plight of the victims, their intrinsic value or their capacity to suffer at all. With Christmas just behind us, in which millions of animals have passed through factory farms and slaughterhouses, I cannot help but consider that in relation to animals, we all need our Ebenezer Scrooge experience. I am reminded of the chilling moment that the Ghost of Christmas Present, lifts his robe to reveal the two emaciated children, revealed to be named ‘Ignorance’ and ‘Want’ and proclaims to Ebenezer “Beware of them…” And much we should, because throughout history, some of our darkest moments have occurred through both - the want of something and the ignorance of its reality. Factory farms, and indeed all animal industries will not downsize or transition on their own. They are upheld and anchored by consumer demand, which consumers alone have the power to reduce or remove. Our future generations will scrutinise our response to these acts, and hopefully we can be remembered as the generation that ended, not ignored the brutal practice of factory farming. | Tru.🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here Sources: 1.) Animal Equality U.K. (2019). Animal Equality | Working to End Animal Cruelty. [online] Available at:https://animalequality.org.uk [Accessed 1 Jan. 2019]. 2.) Animal Aid. (2019). The suffering of farmed chickens - Animal Aid. [online] Available at:https://www.animalaid.org.uk/the-issues/our-campaigns/animal-farming/suffering-farmed-chickens/ [Accessed 1 Jan. 2019]. 3.) Viva!. (2019). Life and death on a British pig farm. [online] Available at: https://www.viva.org.uk/life-and-death-british-pig-farm [Accessed 1 Jan. 2019]. 4.) Animal Equality U.K. (2019). Animal Equality investigation reveals M&S milk supplier confining large calves in small, solitary pens | Animal Equality U.K.. [online] Available at: https://animalequality.org.uk/news/animal-equality-investigation-reveals-ms-milk-supplier-confining-large-calves-in-small-solitary-pens/ [Accessed 1 Jan. 2019]. 5.) Food Safety. (2019). Animal welfare - Food Safety - European Commission. [online] Available at:https://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/welfare_en [Accessed 1 Jan. 2019].

By Shaun Britton A Damning Assessment of our Impact on the Planet Photo by Akil Mazumder A recent report from the WWF reveals we have decimated almost 60% of wildlife since the 1970s. It carries a stark warning for the future, and it isn't alone. In an age bombarded by damning  ecological revelations of our global footprint, could a change in the way we approach animals and nature be our salvation? Crisis Of Our Time: 12 Years To Change Course. 2018’s ‘Living Planet Report’ from the WWF, follows swiftly in the footsteps of the UN’s IPCC    report, another startling proclamation that we have only 12 years to curb our climate levels and   prevent catastrophe. As the executive summary in the WWF report concludes: “We are the first generation that has a clear picture of the value of nature and our impact on it. We may be the last that can take action to reverse this trend”. Like characters in a dystopian science fiction novel, we find ourselves peering over the horizon to a future unable to sustain us, and the beings with which we share this delicate world. The message seems clear; if we are to continue, we cannot continue as we are. The causes for this decimation are laid firmly at the feet of humanity in the WWF report, with over-exploitation, agriculture and land conversion the prime culprits. Damage Causing Diets And The Road To Repair Perhaps the most unsettling example of the impact of over-exploitation and agriculture are our food systems. A 2012 assessment found that the average water footprint per calorie for beef is 20 times larger than for cereals and starchy roots, whilst the global water footprint of cheese was reported at 5060 litres per kilogram.(3) 56 billion animals are killed annually in our food systems (4), and some     organisations quote that even higher. At such a critical point in history, food systems with compassion and responsibility at their heart are vital. According to Joseph Poore, author of a recent study published in the journal Science, the answer could be as simple as changing our shopping lists — “A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use”. A New Relationship With Nature Biodiversity’s modus operandi is interdependency, not sovereignty. The biodiversity we threaten operates like the seemingly independent yet congruent parts of a symphony. Pollination, for        instance, directly affects the yield of 75% of crops globally, and without our pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, 5 to 8% of crop production would be lost. To recover it we would need an area of land higher than the current land used for agriculture, according to a Cambridge study. More than being a purely ecological issue, biodiversity and our balance within it, is about how we see our fellow creatures and ourselves in the surrounding natural tapestry. Disconnection and    entitlement will always naturally take hold of reverence and gratitude. Conservation naturally follows compassion, as we rarely seek to decimate what we treasure. Seeing the planet as a relative, rather than solely as a resource, may well halt us from letting slip through our fingers what is essential now to our survival and so nearly lost to us; harmony with nature. | Tru.🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here Sources: 1.) WWF. 2018. Living Planet Report - 2018: Aiming Higher. Grooten, M. And Almond, R.E.A.(Eds) WWF, Gland, Switzerland 2.)IPCC, 2018: Summary for Policymakers. In: Global warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty [V. Masson-Delmotte, P. Zhai, H. O. Pörtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P.R. Shukla, A. Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. Péan, R. Pidcock, S. Connors, J. B. R. Matthews, Y. Chen, X. Zhou, M. I. Gomis, E. Lonnoy, T. Maycock, M. Tignor, T. Waterfield (eds.)]. World Meteorological Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, 32 pp 3.)Ecosystems, 2012, Volume 15, Number 3, Page 401 Mesfin M. Mekonnen, Arjen Y. Hoekstra 4.) Gowri Koneswaran, Danielle Nierenberg Environ Health Perspect. 2008 May; 116(5): 578–582. Published online 2008 Jan 31. doi: 10.1289/ehp.11034 5.)THE GUARDIAN; Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth; [online]; 31/05/18; accessed Dec 2018; https://www.theguardian.com/environ ment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-im pact-on-earth; 6.)Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Fauna & Flora International, University of East Anglia, & UNEP-WCMC (2017) The pollination deficit: Towards supply chain re silience in the face of pollinator decline. UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge, UK, 42

Shaun Britton on how our leaders have failed us on climate change. Photo by Harrison Moore A recent study has pointed to dangerous ecological tipping points in our future, and says that many of these environmental collapses are interconnected. These collapses, according to one of the authors of the study, have the power to amplify each other in ways that governments may be unprepared for. As we edge ever closer to the point of no return, we look to governments and industry to reassure us they have climate change in hand. But with the future of our planet at stake, can we actually rely on our governments? Blind Eyes & Bias: A Worrying Lack Of Action The extent to which we fear the threats facing our world are in direct correlation with whether we can rely on our governments to intercede them. Much like seeing a boulder rocketing down the hill to your village, it's a lot easier to trust the village elders when they say 'we've got this' if they are standing by with nets and barricades. But is climate change being met with barricades or platitudes? According to the Committee on Climate Change, the UK is not on track to meet its carbon budget in the crucial years 2023-27, which according the CCC, will require more challenging measures. Other countries also have concerning responses to our looming environmental crises. A fascinating article in the official journal of the Beijing Climate Centre, describes the background behind President Trump withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. The article from 2017 describes how the President, himself a climate change skeptic having potential links to the petrochemical industry, and was sent a letter from 22 senators urging him to leave the agreement. According to the authors, these Senators have collected more than US$ 10 million in oil, gas and coal. But isn't the Paris Agreement a sign that our governments are taking the issue seriously? Sadly, it seems that it might not be such a sweet story. Farhana Yamin, an independent climate change lawyer says that: “...we’re rapidly making our way to climate devastation. Our fiscal policies and laws are tilted too heavily in favour of fossil fuels incumbents who fund lobbyists to kill climate legislation and buy off politicians.” She continues to reveal that “Only 58 of these 157 countries have greenhouse gas reduction policies enshrined into law and few have legally binding policies in place that would fully achieve their own reduction goals.” A better legacy and the power of choice In 1920, Percy Redfern wrote in 'The Consumers' Place in Society'  that: “We – the mass of common men and women in all countries – also compose the worlds market. To sell to us is the ultimate aim of the world's business. Hence it is ourselves as consumers who stand in central relation to all the economies of the world, like the king in his kingdom. ...That we are not kings, but serfs in the mass, is due to our failure to think and act together as consumers and so to realize our true position and power.” Perhaps, if we wait for a change of heart in the halls of the policymakers, we overlook our own potential and risk leaving a world unfit for the generations of the future. Recently, young people and children took themselves out of school to plea with and picket their government to take the situation seriously. Our future is already asking us to act. In the power of choice, we have a powerful ally in the battle for our future. Our willingness to invest in our own potential may well be central to the outcome of our ecological future. Even something as simple as altering our shopping lists, can hold entire industries to account. All the purchases we make and the permissions that we give, are at one end of a rope that leads right back to those in control of the resources that govern our future. For me, it is summed up by a photograph of a placard held up at the Extinction Rebellion march in London. It simply reads - 'We are Nature Defending Itself' – Indeed we are. | Tru.🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here Sources: Rocha, J., Peterson, G., Bodin, Ö. and Levin, S. (2019). Cascading regime shifts within and across scales. Science 21 Dec 2018: Vol. 362, Issue 6421, pp. 1379-1383 Committee on Climate Change. (2019). How the UK is progressing - Committee on Climate Change. [online] Available at: https://www.theccc.org.uk/tackling-climate-change/reducing-carbon-emissions/how-the-uk-is-progressing/ [Accessed 14 Feb. 2019] Zhang, H., Dai, H., Lai, H. and Wang, W. (2017). U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement: Reasons, impacts, and China's response. Advances in Climate Change Research, 8(4), pp.220-225. New Internationalist. (2019). Extinction Rebellion – in or out?. [online] Available at: https://newint.org/features/2019/12/05/extinction-rebellion-%E2%80%93-or-out [Accessed 14 Feb. 2019]. Redfern, P. (1920). The Consumers Place In Society. WENTWORTH PRESS. Sky News. (2019). Theresa May criticises pupils missing school to protest over climate change. [online] Available at: https://news.sky.com/story/theresa-may-criticises-pupils-missing-school-to-protest-over-climate-change-11638238 [Accessed 16 Feb. 2019].

How changing our diet could save the planet and protect our future, by Shaun Britton Photo by Keagan Henman The Australian philanthropist Phillip Wollen said in his speech at the debate ‘Animals Should Be Off The Menu’ that “Ours is the Swiss army knife of the future.” With our planet facing an ever more bleak ecological future, a future compounded by myriad interwoven issues, could the move away from animal foods be our best hope for confronting them? Reasons and Resources: The Case For Plant-Based Firstly, meat and dairy take a deeply alarming toll on our environment. The Institute for Trade and Agriculture and GRAIN co-produced a report on the impact of meat and dairy industries. They concluded that they were set to overtake fossil fuel industries as the leading world polluters. Equally, the practice of meat and dairy production is according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), responsible for 18% of GHG’s. Given that we need to cut our emissions significantly, by at least half in order to stay below the 2 degree tipping point described by the IPCC to avoid dramatic consequences, it is both timely and essential to question animal agriculture's footprint and indeed validity. Animal agriculture is also responsible for many other negative effects to the natural landscape. Another report from the FAO says that waste from livestock, including manure has serious implications for water quality, not to mention the hormones, antibiotics and vaccines that move through farms and reach drinking water sources. A recent study from the Senior Water Scientist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory warned that one of the main challenges about to face humankind is dramatic growing water shortages. It is troubling therefore to read that the the water footprint of beef is 6 times larger than for pulses, with beef responsible for over 15,000 litres of water consumption per kilogram. A Necessary Nutrition But what about nutrition - don't we need meat and dairy? Actually, no, not at all. Canada's recently overhauled, official government nutrition guide now not only incorporates alternatives to animal products but promotes choosing protein from plants more often, and consuming plenty of plant based foods. Dairy is virtually omitted. It is more than possible to get all types and amounts of nutrients needed without animal products and be in great health. In fact, three top UK WWE wrestlers told how they rely on the diet for peak performance, and in 2015 weight lifter Patrick Baboumian broke his own world record with a ten-meter, 560kg yoke walk. In a fascinating interview with Plant Based News, Dr Milton Mills, describes how our physical makeup is resemblant to that of a herbivore (it's worth noting also that many herbivores have canines) and hence it makes perfect sense to provide ourselves with what our bodies are set up for. In order to meet the food needs of a planetary population set to grow to 9.7 billion by 2050, we need reliable, nutritious food sources that can be harvested without reckless damage to our environment, ourselves and that won't insatiably drain finite and precious resources. What Next? Plant based equivalents have gone from strength to strength in recent years, and so many delicious alternatives are available, providing all the nutrition needed and thankfully, without the dramatic impact caused by its animal based counterparts. Any earnest look into the animal agriculture industries reveals a truly macabre tale. In order for industries to stop creating such devastating products at the expense of our health, and for our world to become kinder to our fellow non-human animals, we only have to stop buying it. We may even save the planet, and protect it for us, and future generations in the process. As the animal sanctuary Edgar's Mission, states ”If we could lead happy and healthy lives without harming others, why wouldn't we?” | Tru.🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here Sources: (1) YouTube. (2012). Philip Wollen : Animals Should Be Off The Menu debate | Subtitles in 18 languages. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQCe4qEexjc [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019]. (2) Grain.org. (2019). GRAIN — Emissions impossible: How big meat and dairy are heating up the planet. [online] Available at: https://www.grain.org/article/entries/5976-emissions-impossible-how-big-meat-and-dairy-are-heating-up-the-planet [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019]. (3) FAO, 2006. Livestock’s Long Shadow—Environmental Issues andOptions. Food and Agriculture Organisation, Rome, Italy (4) IPCC, 2007. Summary for Policymakers. In: Metz, B., Davidson, O.R., Bosch, P.R., Dave, R., Meyer, L.A. (Eds.), Climate Change 2007: Mitigation. Contribution of Working Group III to the qFourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. (5) Mateo-Sagasta, J., Marjani Zadeh, S. and Turral, H. . Water pollution from agriculture: a global review. [online] Fao.org. Available at: http://www.fao.org/3/a-i7754e.pdfk [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019]. (6) PEIRIS, S. (2018). Unprecedented study reveals major shifts and threats to global freshwater supplies - Research - University of Saskatchewan. [online] Research.usask.ca. Available at: https://research.usask.ca/our-impact/highlights/discoverydigest/2018-may/unprecedented-study-reveals-major-shifts-and-threats-to-global-freshwater-supplies.php [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019]. (7) Waterfootprint.org. Water footprint of crop and animal products: a comparison. [online] Available at: https://waterfootprint.org/en/water-footprint/product-water-footprint/water-footprint-crop-and-animal-products/ [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019]. (8) Food-guide.canada.ca. (2019). Canada's Food Guide. [online] Available at: https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/ [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019]. (9) YouTube. (2019). WWE UK Wrestlers Explain Why They Turned Vegan | Good Morning Britain. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdN_uQhNfjI [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019]. (10) English, N. (2019). The 5 Strongest Vegans On Earth - BarBend. [online] BarBend. Available at: https://barbend.com/strongest-vegans-on-earth/ [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019]. (11) Plantbasednews.org. (2018). Are Humans Omnivores Or Herbivores? Dr. Milton Mills Explains The Human Diet. [online] Available at: https://www.plantbasednews.org/post/dr-milton-mills-explains-human-diet [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019]. (12) Un.org. (2015). World population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 | UN DESA | United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. [online] Available at: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/population/2015-report.html [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019]. (13) Edgar's Mission Farm Sanctuary. About Edgar’s Mission. [online] Available at: https://www.edgarsmission.org.au/about-us/ [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019].

As veganism is on the rise, the demand for vegan chefs who are familiar with the plant-based l is now increasing, by Grace Williams. In light of this, a new vegan cookery school which opened in London last November has launched a fast-track course to train more people in the art of plant-based cooking. Chantal Di Donato, co-founder of the Vegan Chef Institute, said the scheme was in response to restaurateurs who must train their own staff. “There’s a lot of really good chefs in the industry, but it’s really hard to find enough of them because it’s so new,” she said. Much of the public who are not vegan assume there is not much to do with the range of food available; a growing number of shops and restaurants are introducing varieties to their menus and courses. For example, Greggs has now introduced a vegan sausage roll which by all accounts is arguably better than the meat one. Also, Co-op has launched a new selection of sandwiches and wraps to their meal deal to bring in new customers with vegan and vegetarian selections now offering clearer labelling on their wine products. It was also the first supermarket to include allergen and ingredient information on its wines. “A lot of the food on offer was uninspired. But vegan food can be more than just a salad or a roasted cauliflower – that’s why we think this is important,” said Di Donato. One in eight Britons are now vegan or vegetarian, according to a report released last week by Waitrose and with restaurants now eager to add vegan food onto their menus with a 31% increase. So, if there are a limited number of vegan chefs to portray the great food that is to offer, how will people learn to experience this great food? If someone who makes predominately meat tries to recreate vegan dishes it may not work as well as someone who is culinary trained within this environment. For example, if someone is served a dish that is bland and boring, they may consider staying away from vegan food in the future. Many restaurants that made their name on the back of their dairy and meat dishes are converting to serving only plant-based dishes. Gauthier in Soho, a Michelin-starred French restaurant is the face of Alexis Gauthier, a classically trained chef of 25 years, who stopped consuming animal products himself two years ago, therefore becoming the driving force behind the change. He said: “Very few of my chefs imagine it’s even possible to be a French chef making purely plant-based food.” “Even more for the pâtissiers, because French patisserie is full of butter, it’s full of eggs.” Gauthier believes chefs are “the most powerful people within the veganism movement”. The idea is generated that being curious about trying vegan food is scary, but there is no need. The culinary art of vegan, the sustainable cuisine needs to be showcased by talented vegan chefs to portray there is more to just vegetables, you can create so much with simple ingredients and it can taste so much better than meat or dairy products. It also is not fully about the taste; the compassionate way of living should be a selling point at the heart.  | Tru. 🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here Sources: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/veganism-rise-uk-why-instagram-mainstream-plant-based-diet-vegans-popularity-a8296426.html https://www.theguardian.com/food/2018/nov/03/restaurants-short-of-vegan-chefs-as-brits-ditch-meat

Bethany Hearn Looks Back At A Positive Year Of Unexpected Human Achievements. 2018 was a landmark year, both politically and socially. Now we are well into 2019, and we are being constantly bombarded with negative news stories about natural tragedies and parliamentary crises, we thought it was time to look at some of the human achievements of the past year. Below we have listed 50 great statistics that emerged from 2018, and it really is impressive how much we achieved. A positive world starts with a positive mind, by Bethany Hearn. 1. 44%– the number of new HIV infections in South Africa has dropped by 44% since the last major study in 2012. The significant decline in the country, which has the worlds largest population of people living with HIV, confounded expectations. It emerged from a survey by South Africa's Human Sciences Research Council. 2.      $228 bn– is now invested in ‘impact’ globally – double the previous year – according to the Global Impact Investing Network. The estimated figure, which is equivalent to 174bn pounds, represents investments made into companies, funds and organisations that intend to make a positive social and environmental impact alongside generating a financial return. 3.        75%- of Americans believe that Immigration is good for the country, shows a poll by US organisation Gallup. Only 29% of the 1,500 people interviewed said they believed that immigration should be reduced, the lowest proportion to hold this view since 1965. 4.         5.2 million – Scotland will offer free sanitary products to all students in a scheme to try to banish ‘period poverty’. The 5.2 million world-first project will give Scotland’s 395,000 girls and women at schools, colleges and universities access to free sanitary products. One in four struggle to afford them, suggest research by Young Scot. 5.           1m- there are now more than 1 million electric cars in Europe, figures released in August show. The milestone was reached – a year after China did the same – after sales soared by more than 40% between Jan and June 2018. The US is expected to reach the landmark number later this year. 6.        1/2– of the cheapest deals on the UK energy market are now green tariffs, a study by uSwitch has found. 5 of the top 10 cheapest tariffs are green deals offered by challengers to the ‘big 6’ found the switching service. Many consumers wrongly believe that renewable energy deals are more expensive, the research showed. 7.         10– years after the site was first added, Unesco has removed the Belize Barrier Reef from its list of threatened world heritage sites. “Visionary” steps have been taken to protect the reef, which is home to hundreds of varieties of sharks, tropical fish and sea turtles. The Belize government banned oil exploration there. 8.                17,909-sq miles is the size of the new reserve planned to help safeguard the migrations of whales and dolphins in the Mediterranean Sea. Spain has pledged to create the reserve between the Balearic Islands and the mainland: an important migration path for cetaceans. Searching for fossil fuels in the area will be prohibited. 9.           1st– Seattle has become the first major US city to ban plastic straws and utensils at restaurants, shops, food trucks and ‘institutional cafeterias’. Since July, businesses that flout the new rules have face a $250 (191 pounds) fine, but public officials say they are focusing on helping outlets come into compliance, rather than enforcement. 10.          197-countries- all of those that signed up to the Paris climate agreement- are now taking action on climate change. A study published by the London School of Economics in April shows that all nations that signed ir ratified the Paris deal now have at least one national law or policy in place to try to tackle climate change. 11.          620k– caged hens have been rehired by the British Hen Welfare Trust since it was established in 2005. Th Devon-based charity, which is supported by more than 500 volunteers, finds ‘retired homes’ for hens that are destined for slaughter, Some 16m hens are kept in ‘cologne cafes’ in the UK, the trust estimates. 12.         70% – of he worlds population is reportedly reducing meat consumption or leaving meat pff the table altogether. Milliennials are driving a worldwide shift away from meat, according to a report released in March by analytics company GlobalData. Walmart, the world largest retailer, is urging suppliers to offer more plant-based products. 13.             1m– residents are having their sewage waste transformed into gas that can heat peoples homes, in a new project by Bristol Energy. The company has teamed up with a local water firm to bring people household gas made from oo. An average households weekly flushes are enough too ok a Sunday fry-up they say. 14.              1st- the Finnish city go Lahti is expected to become he first in the world to urge residents to adopt personal carbon trading. The EU-funded CitiCap scheme will consist of a mobile app that will automatically collect data on the users travel. Environmentally sound choices will lead to rewards, from gift certificates to transport tickets. 15.         2.3m– solar panels now stretch across a desert in Mexico, forming the largest solar park in Latin America. The Villanueva plant in the arid northern state of Coahuila is part of Mexicos push to generate 43% of its electricity from clean sources by 2024. It could power more than a million homes. 16.       722k– people eat week are being helped to eat by the UK’s largest food redistribution charity, FreeShare, new figures show. The food, which would otherwise be wasted, represents a 60% increase on the previous year. 17.      80-years after being hunted to extinction in the wild, a herd of wild European bison has been successfully reintroduced to the Netherlands. The largest land-dwelling animal in Europe was wiped out on the continent in 1927. Now, a study of 22 bison living in the Zuid-Kennermerland National park is giving cause for hope. 18.     7%-increase in sales of organic produce in the UK from 2015 to 2016. The UK organic market is now worth 2.09bn after 5 consecutive years of growth. Some 39% of shoppers buy organic food each week. 19.         24m– customers are held collectively by the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV). The GABV has 36 members across the world that are focused on using money to deliver social good, not simply to make money. GABV members collectively have 42,000 employees, and hold up to $110bn (89bn pounds) ‘under management). 20.      1st– American person to have ‘intersex’ on her birth certificate. Sara Kelly Keenan is intersex- biologically between male and female. She applied to change the gender on her birth certificate and was successful in December. The ruling could spell progress for this marginalised group, say campaigners. 21.       4m– solar panels at the worlds largest solar far. The Longyangxia Dam Solar Park in China now has the capacity to produce 850MW of power –  enough to supply up to 200,000 households. The 27sq km solar farm cost about 6bn yuan (721.3m pounds) to build. 22.   2– branches of the Danish supermarket Wefood that sells expired food. Selling expired food is legal in Denmark, as long as it is clearly advertised and not dangerous to consumers. Products are donated by producers and import and export companies, and are collected by volunteers. All profits go to charity. 23.            4.2% –of new vehicle registrations in the UK were for alternative fuel vehicles. In January, the number of alternative fuel vehicles being registered, mainly electric cars, increased by a fifth to reach this record share of new vehicle registrations in the UK. The previous high was 3.6% in November 2016. 24.        163– new species discovered in the biodiverse Greater Mekong region of south-east Asia. Scientists announced in December that the list of new species includes a ‘Klingon’ newt, so called due to its distinctive skull shape, and a ‘Ziggy Stardust’, rainbow snake. 25.        9/01/18-the date when a plastic microbes came into force in the UK. The manufacturing ban means that the tiny beads, which harm marine life, can no longer be used in cosmetics and personal care products in the UK. A ban on sales will follow in July. 26.            1st– an NHS hospital in Greater Manchester has become England's first to ban all sugary food and drinks. 27.         $13m– value of a legal defence fund for victims of sexual harassment, which has been launched by Hollywood actors, agents and writers. The cash pot, springing from the MeToo campaign against sexual harassment, is deigned to help women in less privileged professions protect themselves from sexual misconduct, 28.           12/01/18- the date on which women in Saudi Arabia were allowed in professional football games for the first time. 29.    70%- drop in the rate of annual respiratory deaths in China since 1990. The reduction is thought to be due to rising incomes, cleaner cooking fuels and better healthcare. 30.         60%-deforestation in Indonesia by 60%, as a result of a ban on clearing peatlands, new educational campaigns and better law enforcement. 31.       200m– Niger revealed that it has planted 200 million new trees in three decades, the largest positive transformation of the environment in African history. 32.          22%- India registered a 22% decline in maternal deaths since 2013. That means on average, 30 more new mothers are now being saved every day compared to 5 years ago. 33.         57.5% to 14.1%– new research revealed that in the last two decades, female genital mutilation has fallen 57.7% to 14.1% in North Africa, from 73.6% to 25.4% in west Africa, and from 71.4% to 8% in east Africa. 34.           10 days– New Zealand became the second country in the world to pass legislation granting victims of domestic violence 10 days paid leave. 35.            38%– global suicide rates have dropped by 38% since 1994, saving 4 million lives. 36.             271 million– the UNDP released a new report showing that 271 million people in India have moved out of poverty since 2005, nearly halving the country’s poverty rate in one decade. 37.         120 million– the International Energy Agency said that in the last year, 120 million people gained access to electricity. That mens that for the first time since electrical service was started (1882), less than a billion of the world’s population are left in darkness. 38.   80%– after a decade long effort, Herat, Afghanistans deadliest province for landmines, was declared free of explosive devices. Nearly 80% of the country is now mine free. 39.           80%– following the collapse of ISIS, civilian deaths in Iraq decreased dramatically. 80% fewer Iraqis were killed in the first five months of 2018 compared to last year. 40.           20 years– Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a peace treaty, signalling the end of a 20 year war, and reuniting thousands of families. 41.          5 million– Adidas expects to sell 5 million pairs of shoes made from ocean plastics this year, and committed to using only recycled plastics in its products by 2024. 42.      250– 250 0f the worlds major brands, including Coca Cola, Kellogs and Nestle, agreed to make sure that 100% of their plastic packaging will be reused, recycled or composted by 2025. 43.           70%– The European Parliament passed a full ban on single-use plastics, estimated to make up over 70% of marine litter. It will come into effect in 2021. 44.            32– as of the end of 2018, at least 32 countries around the world now have plastic bag bans in place- and nearly half are in Africa. 45.            66%– china said it had seen a 66% reduction in plastic bag usage since the rollout of its 2008 ban, and that it has avoided the use of an estimated 40 billion bags. 46.        9billion– four years after imposing a 5p levy, the UK said it had used 9billion fewer plastic bags, and the number being found n the seabed has plummeted. 47.           32,000– the Kofan people of Sinangoe, in the Ecudorian Amazon, won a landmark legal battle to protect the headwaters of the Aguarico River, nullifying 52 mining concessions and freeing up more than 32,000 hectares of primary rainforest. 48.                 90%– following China’s ban on ivory last year, 90% of Chinese support it, ivory demand has dropped by almost half, and poaching rates are falling in places like Kenya. 49.                   $10 billion– $10 billion was committed in Bali this year for the protection of 14 million square kilometres of the worlds oceans. 50.                0 - London fashion week ditches fur with a zero tolerance for any fur on the cat walk. Tru. 🌱

Written and interviewed by Hannah Johnstone - Ethical Journalist Our society is experiencing a consumerist pandemic - fast fashion. Organisations such as Missguided and Pretty Little Thing are at the forefront of this, flogging cheap and poor quality items to consumers concerned only with the next big trend. As a result, an endless cycle of throwing away old garments to accommodate new ones begins. Statistics show that the average number of times an item is worn before being disposed of has decreased by 36% in the last 15 years. It is also reported that more than half of fast fashion products are thrown away within under a year. (source: Ellen Macarthur foundation). Statistics such as these have come to light in recent years, inspiring organisations such as the Tiny Flea to recycle their clothes and advocate good quality sustainable fashion. The Tiny Flea are a group who buy good quality vintage clothing and resell it at an affordable price. They condemn the unfair labour and waste that comes with fast fashion, fighting for a more sustainable fashion industry. I had the pleasure of talking to Virginia and Laurie of The Tiny Flea, who are tackling fast fashion one flea market at a time. Meeting them, I was immediately blown away by their chic and distinctive outfits - suddenly feeling as though I was in need of a wardrobe update. Since February this year, Virginia and Laurie have been setting up flea markets in which various people can set up stalls selling both vintage and homemade items. They began from their own wardrobes - reselling their clothes and replacing them with vintage pieces. Inspired by a passion for sustainability and fair trade, they wanted to raise awareness of the dangers of fast fashion and provide others with a love of vintage clothing. Not just concerned with the ethical implications of fast fashion, Virginia and Laurie believe that individuality has been lost through the sheer mass of cheap and readily available trends on the high street. The two highlighted that it is difficult, in this day and age, to walk into a shopping centre and not find two people wearing the same item of clothing. By shopping vintage, you are able to find your own unique pieces and stand out from the crowd. What Laurie and Virginia particularly love about the work they do is the community spirit surrounding it and the opportunities to meet interesting and like-minded people. A large source of motivation for the Tiny Flea is also the ability to visit new cities and unique venues, their initiative reaching far and wide with events planned for Bournemouth and Brighton. Virginia pointed out how rewarding it is to see an clothing item you’d previously fallen out of love with go to a new home and be loved all over again. On Sunday 7th April 2019 The Tiny Flea are coming to the Heartbreakers bar in Southampton for their second flea market. There will be stalls for: menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, £1 records, homeware, and perfume. Not only will there be stalls, but also DJs, sunday roasts, and cocktails! The event will run from 11am to 4pm. The Tiny Flea have a minimalistic approach, aiming to reduce the drama and chaos that comes with high street shopping. Their events, therefore, provide a carefree and refreshing experience. Also in an effort to reduce waste and promote sustainability, they encourage that stall-holders use wooden hangers and provide tote bags for people to put their purchases in. To find out more, check out their Website and Facebook and Instagram pages. | Tru. 🌱 Website: http://thetinyflea.co.uk/the-tiny-flea Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/2225699704346618/?active_tab=about https://www.facebook.com/thetinyfleamarket/?eid=ARACvsETtWOH-A8dKyTJSyN8N-b5tpWZHsVyXw_dXnsO0RVX_OXLJdUYqavzTYk3dGKcRTlh_LjzKJqW Instagram: The_tiny_flea We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here

Shaun Britton Takes A Look At The Stakes Involved When We Go Vegan. From the humble beginnings of a joinery teacher, to a global industry and ethical zeitgeist - whether regarded as fringe or future, the term ‘Vegan’ occupies a firm place in the public consciousness. But how did it get here, and where is it headed? From Small Beginnings The concept of rejecting animal foods for health, environmental or animal rights reasons can be followed back through human history - whether figures in antiquity, ancient religions or cultural reforms. The Age of Enlightenment ushered a wide acceptance of vegetarian ideals and practices, and as the meat and dairy industries began to grow with the industrial revolution, so did its detractors. In 1813, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote ‘A Vindication Of The Natural Diet’, championing a plant based diet from both a health and moral standpoint. Leo Tolstoy also famously stated in his book ‘What I Believe’ “As long as there are slaughter houses there will always be battlefields” . The International Vegetarian Union was founded in 1908, and vegetarianism grew in popularity. From here, one can follow the events that led to the term ‘Vegan’ being coined by Donald Watson in 1944, the joinery teacher who originally founded The Vegan Society. The term is designed to mean the following of Vegetarian to its natural conclusion - by using the start and end of the word to signify the rejection of all animal foods and products, arguing that dairy or eggs is no lesser an ethical divot than meat. Watson explained “We can see quite plainly that our present civilisation is built on the exploitation of animals, just as past civilisations were built on the exploitation of slaves, and we believe the spiritual destiny of man is such that in time he will view with abhorrence the idea that men once fed on the products of animals' bodies”. If this article has been of interest to you, you may enjoy reading The Move Away From Meat. The popular book ‘Diet for A Small Planet” published in 1971, heralded a new age of both alternative products and growing research that brought vegetarian and vegan ideas and foods into global focus. Troubles And Transformations: A Picture Of The Modern World Fast forward to the first few years of the new millennium, and mankind's footprint on the earth had reached breaking point, with a report by the UN warning of “accelerating, abrupt, and potentially irreversible changes” by 2050, revealing that “Humans are fundamentally and to a significant extent irreversibly changing the diversity of life on earth,” Challenging documentaries such as Earthlings (2005) and Forks Over Knifes (2011) and Cowspiracy (2014) as well as books such as Jonathan Safran Foer's 2011 book ‘Eating Animals’ brought veganism into public consciousness in the same way that vegetarianism had been introduced years earlier. This growing body of works not only illuminated issues such as animal exploitation and cruelty and environmental devastation, but began to paint the picture of a vegan diet and lifestyle as a solution to bleak ecological predictions. The Vegan Solution? Present day, the Vegan market has become a billion dollar industry, with the vegan cheese market alone predicted to be worth just under $4 billion by 2024. The Greggs’ vegan sausage roll became one of the companies fasting selling products (with an amusing twitter story to boot), and Papa John’s vegan cheese pizzas sold out within 24 hours of their launch. Supermarket shelf space for vegan products continues to grow, and more athletes, celebrities, professionals and researchers are lending their commendations. The EAT-lancet commission, led by 37 scientists advises switching animal proteins to plant proteins, and a similar report 'ENVIROCIDAL' by UK charity Viva! shows the devastation of animal agriculture, and further lends weight to a growing view that going vegan is the best hope for halting environmental devastation. Far from remaining a fringe food movement, the growing popularity, research and investment seems to point to a definite conclusion; the future may very well be vegan, and we may very well need it to be. | Tru. 🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here Sources: VINDICATION. and Shelley, P. (1813). A Vindication of Natural Diet. Being one in a series of notes to Queen Mab, a philosophical poem [by P.B. Shelley]. (Appendix.). [London]. Leo, T. (2000). What I Believe (Originally Published 1885). Adamant Media Corporation. The Vegan Society. (2019). History. [online] Available at: https://www.vegansociety.com/about-us/history Inaugural newsletter of the Vegan Society, Vegan News no. 1 (November 1944) Lappé, F. and Hahn, M. (2010). Diet for a small planet. New York: Ballantine Books. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005. Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Synthesis. Forbes.com. (2019). Here's Why You Should Turn Your Business Vegan In 2018. [online] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/katrinafox/2017/12/27/heres-why-you-should-turn-your-business-vegan-in-2018 Murphy, C. (2019). The reason why everyone LOVES Gregg's Twitter account. [online] liverpoolecho. Available at: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/tweets-prove-whoever-looks-after-15623172 VegNews.com. (2019). Papa John’s Runs out of Vegan Cheese in 24 Hours. [online] Available at: https://vegnews.com/2019/1/papa-johns-runs-out-of-vegan-cheese-in-24-hours Plantbasednews.org. (2019). Go Vegan To Save The Planet, Says New Environmental Report. [online] Available at: https://www.plantbasednews.org/post/go-vegan-save-planet-new-environmental-report

Ebony Bolter Explores Large-Scale Efforts To Combat Plastic Waste In Our Oceans. Photo by Caleb George The Plastic Problem In recent years plastic and our oceans have become more connected and its affect on our oceans have become more apparent – David Attenborough's Blue Planet II brought the damage of single-use plastic waste to our oceans into the public's consciousness, and viral videos of wildlife getting caught in man-made waste traps have inspired people to act against the epidemic threatening the world around us. Due to these recent discoveries of the amount of plastic floating in our oceans, large-scale action is being taken to encourage the preservation of aquatic species and ecosystems. The Ocean Cleanup Project is attempting to solve this problem, one floating device at a time. Despite the initial failure of the floating boom in 2018, it is being returned to the Pacific following repair to collect the predicted 1.8ton pieces of plastic residing in the ocean. The plastic trap is a 2,000 ft long and 10 ft deep floating U-shaped device that can collect five tonnes of plastic monthly. It also features an underwater skirt that traps pieces smaller than 1cm, allowing marine life to pass underneath it. Yet, despite being a theoretically good idea, like most, has its weaknesses. The first time the boom was in the Pacific, it only lasted 4 months before breaking. It was hard to escape the waves and wind among the ocean, and the plastic was not being retained. If this is a recurring flaw, it may harm the Ocean Cleanup’s initiative to be able to ‘remove 90% of ocean plastic by 2040.’ While the principle is well intended, it’s thought it will take 60 booms and years of consistency to clear the plastic debris from the ocean. If the 60 devices work, the system could clean up to 50% of the Pacific’s ‘Garbage Patch’ in five years. Another admirable trait of this project is how it reliable on the ocean current. Thus, does not need external, man-made energy that would harm the environment further. Yet, it is important to stress that the prevention of plastic going into the ocean is as important as the rate in which it is cleared. George Leonard of the Ocean Conservancy stated that “If you don’t stop plastics from flowing into the ocean, it will be a Sisyphean task”, referring to the Greek myth of a task never completed. Aiding prevention, the volunteers of Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup (2017) collected approximately 10,000 tons of plastic waste in less than three hours from beaches and waterways all over the world. Ultimately, approaches to protecting the natural environment must be multifaceted. Beginning with educating people about the danger of single-use plastic, followed by stopping plastic from reaching the ocean. The plastic reduction is being achieved in many ways through initiatives such as the Ocean Cleanup, yet also has its place in popular culture, the aforementioned “Attenborough Effect” being a primary modern example. In the BBC’s Blue Planet documentary, very raw and upsetting footage of aquatic nature suffering featured. The shock-factor and subsequent emotional impact caused an estimated 53% decline in the US and U.K.’s single-use plastic. Protecting and preserving our oceans starts with introspection. Invest in a glass water bottle, metal straws, toothpaste without microbeads (which damage your teeth anyway!) and carry reusable shopping bags. In combination with larger environmental projects, we have a chance to protect our oceans, which in turn protect us. | Tru. 🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk 🌱We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/23/great-pacific-garbage-patch-floating-plastic-trap-deployed-again https://theoceancleanup.com/technology/ https://oceanconservancy.org/ https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/attenborough-effect-plastics/

Emma Reynolds' Beginner's Guide To #PlasticFreeJuly. Photo by Jo Lanta Deciding to go plastic free for one month This is the first step to making great ecological change across the world. However, it can be hard to make the commitment when you don’t know where to start. As aforementioned in Tru’s launch of #PlasticFreeJuly, you only must commit to refusing to use one plastic item for the whole of July. In this post I want to go through some of the basic plastics you can select to get rid of for July to make it easier for you. Takeaway Coffee Cups – A really good way to not use takeaway coffee cups from stores such as Costa or Starbucks is to invest in a reusable coffee cup. These are available from most high street retailers and even some designer brands have begun to create them. Some coffee shops even offer to reduce the price of your drink by 30p or similar as an incentive to you if you choose to use a reusable cup. Fruit and Vegetables – These days in stores there are so many ways that fruit and vegetables are packaged in plastic for no necessary reason when they could easily be packaged in a paper bag. One thing you can do for July is to refuse to buy bags of apples or bananas that are packaged in plastic and instead go to a green grocers and buy all your fruit and vegetables loosely, either bring your own bag to put them in or use some of the brown paper bags that are offered instead. Plastic Shopping Bags – This is one of the most widely swapped plastics in the whole of #PlasticFreeJuly. Canvas bags are sold in most retailers and there are even designers who make them. Some supermarkets even create their own branded reusable, recyclable bags and so it is easy to buy one for as little as 60p. Many stores run a “bag for life” scheme too, so if your bag does break, then you can get a new replaced one for free if you return the broken one to the supermarket. Plastic Straws – These are some of the most problematic plastics that are taking the world by storm in terms of injuring animals in the ocean. They are important for us to replace with paper or biodegradable straws which is what a lot of companies have already started to do, but it’s easy for you to make your own stand too. You can purchase collapsible metal straws online, and regular metal ones so that you can always take a stand over plastic straws in your drinks, no matter where you are. Plastic Water Bottles – This one is super easy to try and cut out. Most water bottles are in plastic and are often not widely recycled. It is a great alternative to buy a reusable water bottle that you can get from most high street retailers and use refill stations all over the town you live in for water, or make a point of tipping drinks out of plastic bottles into your reusable one. The Bakery – When heading to the bakery, pre-prepare and take boxes for iced doughnuts and similar unless they have paper bags, and bring reusable bags to pack your bread rolls and similar in. Avoid buying anything pre-packaged in plastic! Meat, Fish & Deli – Try to avoid the plastic trays that they put meat in in stores and go to butchers instead where they can package your meat into your own tubs. These avoids wasting plastic you do not need to waste. Reduce, Reuse & Recycle – Make sure that if you cannot bring yourself to fully let go of one plastic that you are at least recycling as much as possible! It really helps and you will be making such a difference to the world around you and saving our planet! | Tru. 🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk 🌱We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here

Ben Dolbear Covers Broadcaster’s Last-Ditch Attempts To Avert Climate Crisis David Attenborough The BBC broadcaster and naturalist has spoken to UK lawmakers about the importance of taking the current global climate crisis seriously. Appearing in front of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, which is chaired by Labour’s Rachel Reeves, Attenborough implored MPs to change their tack in dealing with environment policy, commenting that politicians ‘cannot be radical enough’ when dealing with issues which have potentially catastrophic consequences for our planet’s existence. The 93-year-old, who is the voice of Netflix’s new nature documentary series Our Planet and last month praised thousands of Glastonbury attendees for going plastic-free and avoiding over one million single-use plastic bottles, was keen to express that whilst the economic impact of climate change would be grave, the real damage would manifest itself in the form of ‘great social unrest’ in the coming decades if we ignore the very real problems facing us. Asked about his thoughts on climate deniers, Attenborough encouraged open debate on the issue, but stressed that the vast majority of specialist and authoritative voices in the scientific field display a great level of despair about the state of the climate. In an apparent dig at President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord agreed by his predecessor Barack Obama in 2016, Sir David openly criticised ‘people in power internationally [...] notably, of course, the United States’, who do not strongly advocate dealing with climate change. Talking about the malleability of public opinion, Attenborough drew a comparison between perceptions of climate change and 19th century views on slavery, saying that whilst it was once ‘perfectly acceptable for civilised human beings to think that it was morally acceptable to actually own another human being for a slave’, public opinion was able to shift radically in the space of ‘twenty or thirty years’ for the better, and the same is happening today. Attenborough, now into his ninetieth decade, told MPs frankly, ‘I’m okay, and all of us here are okay, because we won’t face the problems that are coming’. In a clear nod to recent action taken by climate protesters Extinction Rebellion and 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, Sir David said that he was encouraged the ‘electors of tomorrow’ who are ‘already making their voices very, very clear’. | Tru. 🌱 We are a conscious publication and platform providing social-ethical insight and knowledge about topics that matter | Ethical insight, one place. www.tru.org.uk 🌱We are funded by readers like you. To support our work and journalism, donate here Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0EL3DTj9tU&feature=youtu.be https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/david-attenborough-climate-change-trump-parliament-select-committee-usa-australia-a8996896.html https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/business-energy-industrial-strategy/membership/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aETNYyrqNYE https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jun/30/david-attenborough-praises-glastonbury-for-going-plastic-free https://www.brookings.edu/blog/planetpolicy/2018/06/01/one-year-since-trumps-withdrawal-from-the-paris-climate-agreement/ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/13/extinction-rebellion-kick-off-weekend-of-protest-with-dalston-blockade https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/perth-kinross/934494/we-need-to-hold-older-generations-accountable-greta-thunberg-makes-plea-to-scottish-schoolchildren-after-getting-award-from-perth-charity/

Alice Penney takes us through the regular features of the most popular festival of the year, and what we can expect from Glastonbury 2019. The undeniable godfather of British festivals, inspired by the fun-loving hippies and derived from the energetic free party movement, Glastonbury is the biggest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world and has greatly influenced all that have come along since. I shall be taking you on a journey of the history and roots of the event whilst also touching down on the ethical innovations that have stuck in place from the first year. Gone are the days of free Glasto (unfortunately!), seeing David Bowie free of charge (I know I was born in the wrong era!), but also gone are the days of 1,500 revellers. The most sought-after event in the UK – with 250,000 attendees and still selling out in a matter of minutes to select registered individuals. – A festival for all ages – appeals to everyone and boy does everyone try to go. Glastonbury has won the heart of the nation over its nearly 50 years lifetime, being broadcast on TV and radio for everyone to get the glimpse of the “Glasto magic”. Glastonbury is so adored that in 2006 BBC produced a movie “Rockumentary” to celebrate the glorious event. Showcasing an eclectic mix of fun, from the front-running entertainment of music, to a plethora of the arts, ranging from comedy to circus performances, Glastonbury will spin you around and turn you upside down with the extensive volume of creativity to immerse yourself in over the five day soiree. A quirky community for all cultures, the traditionally hippy festival magnets everyone together for a celebration of music, love and spirituality. Recognised as a staple event in British culture, the festival is inspired by the ethos of the hippy, counterculture, and free festival movements. It retains vestiges of these traditions, such as the Green Fields area, which includes sections known as the Green Futures. Michael Eavis hosted the first festival, formally called Pilton Festival, after being inspired by an open-air Led Zeppelin concert at the 1970 Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music. An exquisite display of the arts, this festival is not one to shy away from attention to detail. One of the greatest shows on earth, a truly momentous occasion that sparkles for all attendees. The festival really prides itself in creating a visionary experience to certainly turn one’s head. Glastonbury will welcome all with it’s friendly relaxed atmosphere, offering fun for everyone in the never ending fields of fun. Glastonbury has been driven by ethical morals from the very start, worrying about climate change before it was prominent. With its avid partnerships with Oxfam, Water Aid and Greenpeace, Glastonbury thrives in providing a better future for others. The last fayre excelled in collecting more than £3 million to donate to the three main organisations, alongside plenty more worthy causes Attracting a diverse range of acts such as The Cure, Miley Cyrus, and Stormzy to this summer's soiree, alongside contributing for a better future, Glastonbury rightfully still remains the most popular festival of the British festival circuit. If the star-studded line up isn’t enough to entice you, the generous amount of activities and warming vibe should do it. If you haven’t yet been, consider adding to your festival bucket list. Glastonbury 2019 begins on Wednesday 26th June, ending on Sunday 30th June, 2019. Ethical alternatives to getting there and back can be found here: https://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/information/getting-here/.

Boomtown is Back: Firsthand Insight from Alice Penny Photo by Wendy Wei One of the most talked about festivals of British culture, although only ten years old, Boomtown Fair has certainly made a name for itself. The core values and bizarre quirks of the festival really make it stand out from the crowd. The ever so important storyline of the festival raises political and environmental issues that shouldn’t be turned a blind eye on. This article shall explore the individuality and sustainability of one of the greatest shows on earth. Boomtown is a truly immersive festival experience, with intricate attention to detail around every corner. From crafting musical instruments at Whistlers Green, to completing ridiculous tasks in the job centre for boomtown bucks, to grooving on down to your favourite acts in downtown of a night time, there is no doubt you’ll be short of things to do. Boomtown holds a certain mystifying charm. You can never know what you are going to come across, but you run towards it with open arms anyway. A rather bizarre mix of eclectic theatrics and creative spiritualists crossed with quirky steam punks and bucket hat ravers, Boomtown is a delightful combination of the weird and wonderful. Chapter 10 welcomed the most colourful and diverse music scene Boomtown has seen yet, with the Gorillaz headlining and over 600 acts playing. This was the first big year for heavier acts. Downtown, or should I say, Diss-order Alley, saw a rise of punk’s trekking around the city thanks to the arrival of the “Earache Factory” in which 4-piece rap metal collective Hactivist got crowds breaking a sweat on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Covering pop classics from the likes of Kanye, these four Milton Keynes lads really knew how to entertain. Jumping from ska to disco to folk to drum and bass, the variety is never ending. Boomtown describe their diversity by saying “explore new music from over 30 countries and spanning an unfathomable amount of musical genres.” If you’re lucky enough to have been before, you would be aware of the community feel of the site. From the energetic strangers you watch the sun come up with (whilst chilling in a pod over a lake in the psychedelic forest) to the perky actors enticing you with challenges to win all kinds of strange festival memorabilia. This is a festival for the people, the happiest place I have ever visited. Boomtown address their revellers as fellow “citizens” which is fitting as if it was possible to live there permanently, I’m sure most would jump at the opportunity. With approximately 60,000 revellers venturing there as of recent years, the festival experience is constantly growing. The first “Chapter” of the boomtown story began in 2009, with just 1,000 party goers, fast forward to 2018 and the festival has flourished to 65,000 citizens The chapter by chapter story is growing bigger and better year by year, meaning stronger discipline need to be established. The festival follows many important practises surrounding diversity, consent and mental health. “With Boomtown, we’ve never been afraid to be different, and to encourage everyone to celebrate the differences between us all.” The city engages in the strong “respect the city, respect each other, respect yourself” campaign, in which the creators have come together to help create the most enjoyable yet safest experience for everyone. You can lose yourself in the outlandish story by completing quests throughout the day. This separates Boomtown from the other festivals for me. It can really make you feel like a part of a community, at one amongst all the theatrics of the colourful city. With 14 districts and multiple micro venues dotted around the site, you are never short of something to engage in. The infamous woods parties, grandma’s living room where you can wind down low in an intense limbo challenge under a walking stick, the inconvenience store, where you can get well and truly inconvenienced; it is exactly what It says on the tin, the list goes on, but it’s best to leave it up to you to explore. Boomtown really goes above and beyond when impressing its partygoers, the extravagant set designs, the compelling actors and breath-taking shows. The undeniable creative flare gone into every little detail and being adaptable to cater for everybody leaves Boomtown setting the bar high for other festivals. Boomtown take pride in making radical changes to ensure sustainability is at the core of the event production and continuously searching for innovative solutions to help reduce the festivals: impact, CO2 emissions, waste, increasing awareness and inspiring positive change. The finale of the most recent event touched down on the importance of the environment and how all the attendees can do their bit to help the planet by reducing waste left on site. There are numerous visions in place to help protect the environment. Boomtown are acknowledged eco-warriors for their big bike ride scheme, transporting many Bristolians to the festival site on a scenic bike ride. Alongside the cyclists, Boomtown also have many environmental practises scattered throughout the festival, including a one-use plastic ban, compost loo’s, and recycling points in all the campsites. An indisputable masterpiece of a festival. There’s not much to hold Boomtown at fault for despite the dreaded staircase of doom. A clearly devoted team have created a magical festival experience for all ages. The 2019 Boomtown Fair begins in Winchester on Wednesday 7th August and ends on Monday 12th August. Travelling accounts for about 80% of a festival's carbon footprint; to reduce this effect, you can find ethical travel information on the Boomtown website.

Ben Dolbear speaks to two spokespeople for the organisation taking the climate scene by storm. Last Saturday, the Daily Echo published an article condemning environmental protest group Extinction Rebellion for their planned Youth Strike scheduled for Friday 15th February, which aims to take children out of school for one day to march on Southampton against what they see as the impending climate crisis. Schools have been faced with a tricky dilemma: allow young people to engage in the political process and risk setting a dangerous precedent of truancy, or set a hard and potentially alienating stance against swathes of young people concerned about their world. From Tru’s perspective, we feel it is encouraging to see movements enabling all types of people to engage with wider societal and ecological problems, but this is not the first time the group, formed internationally in October of last year, have caused a local stir - they have previously joined forces with other environmental campaign groups to march on West Quay in an unapproved flash-mob to protest against the impact of cars in the city. Much has been said about the group in local and national media, and we were curious about their motivation and thoughts behind the Youth Strike, so I went to meet two of Extinction Rebellion’s local spokespeople, Willy and Christelle, in Southampton’s Art House Cafe. We are intrigued to know more about the organisation, and Christelle tells me it is a non-hierarchical movement of people who are taking a stand to protest against the state of the climate. It is a nonviolent direct action movement which demands that the government tells the truth about climate change based on the most recent predictions by the IPCC that we only have twelve years left to stop the planet heating up to devastating levels. As a comment from us, it is really encouraging to see nonviolent expressions of concern to attract attention to such important issues. The group is fundamentally apolitical, but challenges central government by proposing that democracy as it stands is not fit for purpose to challenge this crisis; it is short-termism that will make this planet cease to be habitable. I ask about the unconventional tactics of Extinction Rebellion, and Willy tells me that the research shows that nonviolent direct action is overwhelmingly more successful in achieving aims than more passive methods; though it may sound radical, the Earth is at a pivotal point from which there is no return. For Willy, it is essential that government bodies become aware that environmental issues should be taken seriously, and this will inevitably involve tactics such as dropping banners, distributing leaflets, and staging the kind of publicity stunts described above. Christelle says that, if we look at history, real change only comes about when real people are willing to sacrifice their liberty and dignity on a mass scale. Willy adds that this kind of action can no longer be deemed ‘radical’ if it is undertaken by the people; instead, it becomes the norm, and political leaders are forced into action. Although Extinction Rebellion may seem rigid in how they present themselves, we do hope that evolutionary movements such as this are able to be heard with more open ears; after all, the time for change is now. It has been a pleasure interviewing two insightful and passionate individuals who genuinely, and quite rightly, care about our planet, its inhabitants, and the future. But some more conventional thinkers might still ask: why deny children of their education, and why risk criminalising parents by taking their children out of school? Willy is keen to tell me that this protest is not about criticising teachers or schools; teachers do an excellent job under difficult circumstances, and are often effective in imparting skills necessary to tackle the climate crisis to young people. He also disputes that this is denying children of an education; quite the opposite, he says - the event will be a lively day packed with educational activities from academic lectures to group activities and music. For Christelle, it will be an important supplementary form of alternative education, equipping young people with the knowledge, motivation, and drive to make their future world a better place. Yes, the organisation may seem radical, but it is radical change that is required if humanity is going to reverse its trend of destruction that has resulted in the wiping out of 60% of the world’s animal populations since 1970. If anybody wants to get involved with Extinction Rebellion they should go to the main website rebellion.earth and will be put in touch with their local group. The Facebook page for the Southampton branch is ‘Extinction Rebellion Southampton’, and anybody who gets in touch with the page will be notified about all upcoming events, which include the aforementioned Youth Strike on Friday between 11-2, and in the evening of the 27th February at an unconfirmed venue there will be a screening of Heading for Extinction and What To Do About It, and in the afternoon of the 3rd March at the Friends’ Meeting House there will be nonviolent direct action training. People can get involved on different levels, including the working groups which exist in the remit of lobbying, finances, science and research, outreach and training, and others.