As a fan of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, I am very used to disappointing adaptations: whether it’s The Hobbit stretched over too many films, or whatever the original Northern Lights film had going on, it’s uniformly quite bad. However, every once in a while, a film actually lives up to how much I loved the book, and Dune is that film.
This week’s topical cartoon, illustrated by Amy Culham
In his address to the UN Security Council on 23rd February 2021, David Attenborough articulated the threat currently faced by humanity: “If we continue on our current path, we will face the collapse of everything that gives us our security…Climate change is the biggest threat to security that modern humans have ever faced.” According to Attenborough, food production, access to fresh water, habitable ambient temperature and ocean food chains are all at stake, the most basic of human needs. If ever humanity needed a weapon for changing the world, it is now. In the face of these challenges, it is difficult to conceive of a more powerful tool than education. It can leverage women’s concern for the environment, provide them with more life choices and develop technologies to plug the gaps left by an aging population. While education has a wealth of other benefits, mentioned are the central themes I will explore further in this essay, starting with the role of female education in driving the climate agenda.
Whose responsibility is it to drive climate action? A debate almost as divisive as the chicken and the egg, still it remains unanswered: is it up to the consumer or the company to put an end to climate change? The short answer is both (in the developed world). The longer one? Find below.
As the historic COP26 begins, many are calling for more drastic measures to be taken by countries to become carbon neutral, preserve ecosystems and improve environmental sustainability. The oil, meat, and textiles industries are often targeted when pushing for this drive towards net zero. However, one industry is often overlooked in this drive for sustainability – crystals. While many have heard the term “blood diamonds”, coined to describe diamonds sourced from areas of conflict these gems are often not linked to the word “crystals”, despite the various impacts of crystal mining and transportation. Indeed, despite increased drive on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to become more eco-friendly, crystal purchasing has gone through the roof since the pandemic.
