ECO-CLIFTON CELEBRATING POSITIVE SUSTAINABILITY NEWS CANADA'S MONARCH BUTTERFLY RESTORATION PROGRAMME EditedbyJayG
WhyaremonarchbutterfliessoimportantandwhatisCanada doingtoprotectthem?
CRACKING DOWN ON ‘FOREVER CHEMICALS’ IN U.S. DRINKING WATER Whatare‘foreverchemicals,’whyaretheysoharmfulandwhatis beingdoneintheUStopreventthemfromcontaminatingwater?
THE UK’S SOLUTION TO POLLUTION Carbondioxideemissionshavedominatedheadlines,buttheUK's nnovativesolutionisturningthetide.
ENDANGERED ANIMALS PROGRESS Thankstostrongconservationinterventionsmanyanimal specieslevelsarerecoveringafterfacingextinction
THE CULTURE BEHIND SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION FUTURE LEAP & YOUNG CHANGEMAKERS WhatareCliftonstudentsdoinginatimeofenvironmental urgencytomaketheschoolmoresustainable?
Ourconsumptionofresourcesiseverevolvingandis constantlyreshapedbyamyriadofsocialandeconomic factors-whichcanbothpushusawayfromanddriveus towardsthegoalofacultureofsustainableconsumption.
INDONESIAN WOMEN RESTORING THEIR HOMELAND’S CORAL REEFS InIndonesia,anationrenownedforitsstunningcoralreefs, womenareattheforefrontofrestorationefforts,playinga crucialroleinenvironmentalprojectsthatempowerlocal communities.
HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A RELIABLE GRID WHILE SWITCHING FROM FAMILIAR FOSSIL PLANTS TO RENEWABLES? NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS: Astheworldtransitionsfromfossilfuelstorenewable energy,oneofthebiggestchallengesismaintaininga reliablepowergrid.
A DISCONNECT FROM NATURE Risingglobaltemperaturesandanincreasinglackof biodiversityimpliesafailingrelationshipbetweennature andhumans,whichappearstobeespeciallyprevalent withintheteenageyears,butwhy?
UK UNIVERSITIES AND THEIR NEW FOSSIL FUELS PLEDGE The‘FossilFreeUniversities’campaignbeganin 2013andhasrecentlyhelpedenactachange affectingvastnumbersofpeopleofallagesand backgroundsaroundthecountry.
Ifyouwouldliketobeinvolvedinnextterm’s editionpleasecontactMrBatesor gre061@cliftoncollege.com
CANADA'S RESTORATI Whataremonarchbutterflies?
Theyareatypeofpollinatorthatplay ecosystemhealth,biodiversityandf Theyhavedistinctiveorangeandbla renownedfortheirannualmigration thousandsofmilesfromNorthAmer migrationpatternsoffervaluableins ofshiftingweatherpatterns,environ landusepractices.
Unfortunately,recentyearshavesee inmonarchpopulations,highlighting implicationsofclimatechangeandh
StevenGuilbeaultduring PollinatorWeek, theCanadian governmentplanstoinvestover$623,000tosupportmonarch butterflyhabitatrestorationprojectsaimedatimproving monarchbutterflypopulations,alongwithanarrayofother speciesofpollinatorinsouthernOntario Theyhopetoprovide apowerfulnature-basedsolutiontohelpincreasebiodiversity andfightclimatechange.
‘PollinatorWeek’isanannualcelebration,managedby PollinatorPartnership,andthe2024theme“Vision2040” focuseson“thrivingecosystems,economies,andagriculture.” Thefundingwillsupportavarietyofprojectsdesignedto improvethequality,quantity,andconnectivityofessential breedingandmigratorymonarchbutterflyhabitat.Additionally, effortswillfocusonincreasingtheavailabilityofnativeseeds,a crucialelementinbiodiversityandhabitatrestorationand conservation
“Themonarchbutterflyisavitalpollinatorthatplaysasignificantroleinourhealthandwell-being,”MinisterGuilbeault said.“ThroughtheHabitatStewardshipProgrammeanddedicatedfundingforspeciesatrisk,we’resupportingprojects andpartnerswhoaresafeguardingandrestoringcriticalhabitatsformonarchsandotherpollinators Workingtogetheris keytoprotectingandrestoringwildlifehabitats,haltingbiodiversityloss,andpromotingspeciesrecovery”
Projectsthatarebeingfunded:
Theseprojectsdirectlycontributetoseveraltargets outlinedintheGlobalBiodiversityFrameworkandalign withCanada’sgoalsofhaltingandreversinglossof natureby2030andachievingafullrecoveryfornature by2050.Theyalsocontributetothenationaltargetof conserving30%oflandandwaterinCanadaby2030.
AlternativeLandUseServices(ALUS)received $189,750toconductenvironmentalstewardship activitiesonmarginalagriculturallandsinMiddlesex County Theaimofthisprojectistocreateand enhancemonarchbutterflyhabitats,contributingto therecoveryofthisthreatenedspecies.
CANADA'S MONARCH BUTTERFLY RESTORATION PROGRAMME ProjectWingspanwasawarded$118,800toincreasethe availabilityofnativeseeds Itsupportshabitatrestorationeffortsin theCarolinianZone-anecologicalregionandmonarchbutterfly habitatinsouthernOntariothatisvitaltothecause.“Project Wingspansupportsmonarchbutterfliesbysecuringthenative seedsthatgrowintocriticalhabitatsforcaterpillarsandbutterflies Throughouttheirlifecycle,monarchsfacechallengesfromhabitat lossandclimatechange.ProjectWingspanisboostingoursupply ofnativeseedssothatwecanallplantformonarchs Ifyouplantit, theywillcome-andthrive!”-Dr VictoriaWojcik,ScienceDirector, PollinatorPartnershipCanada.
TheCanadianWildlifeFederationreceivesupto$258,583to createnectaring,breeding,androostinghabitatswithin agriculturalandurbanlandscapes(neartheSouthernGreatLakes) TheFederationhelpstherecoveryoftheMonarchpopulationby providingessentialresourcesthroughouttheirlifecycle.
TheCityofRichmondHillwasgranted$56,000tocreateanew meadowattheDavidDunlapObservatory,hopingtoexpandurban habitatsformonarchsandoffercrucialresourcesforpollinators.
TheGovernmentofCanadacontinuestoworkcollaborativelywithCanadians,Indigenouscommunities,stakeholders,and othergovernmentsacrossCanadatoprotectmonarchsunderthe SpeciesatRiskAct.TheHabitatStewardshipProgram for SpeciesatRisk contributestoCanada’sbiodiversityandconservationgoalsbyprotectingandrestoringhabitatsofat riskspecies.Itsupportslocalactionstostewardandprotectland,water,animals,andplants,aswellastheimplementation ofthe SpeciesatRiskAct.
Althoughourecosystemsandhabitatshavesufferedandlostbiodiversity,thisrestorationprojectprovideshopeand reassurancethatwecantakestepstogethertoundothedamage.Theprogramme,andbyextensionotherinitiatives,shed lightonthemanypossiblerouteswecantaketohelpimproveourworldforthespeciesthatliveinitandhelpreducethe impactofclimatechange
Formoreinformationonthisproject,takealookatthis newsrelease.
ByAlanaP
CRACKING DOWN ON "FOREVER CHEMICALS" IN U.S. DRINKING WATER TheU.S.isfinallytakingseriousactionagainstPFAS,alsoknownas“foreverchemicals,”whichhavebeenpollutingthe environmentfordecades.PFASareman-madechemicalsthathavebeenusedinallkindsofeverydayproducts,likenonstickpans,waterproofclothing,andevenfirefightingfoam Theproblem?Thesechemicalsarenearlyimpossibletobreak down,sotheybuildupintheenvironment,inwildlife,andeveninus.They’relinkedtosomeserioushealthissues,like cancer,liverdamage,andreproductiveproblems,buttheyalsowreakhavoconecosystems.
TheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)hasintroduced strictnewdrinkingwaterstandardstolimitPFASpollution For twooftheworstchemicals,PFOAandPFOS,thelimitisnowset at4partspertrillion,whichispracticallyaslowasscientistscan measure Forothers,likePFNAandGenX,thelimitistenparts pertrillion Theselimitsareabigdealbecausethey’rethefirst federalrulesdesignedtoreducePFAScontaminationinwater systemsnationwide.
Thisisn’tjustaboutprotectingpeople-it’salsoaboutprotecting theenvironment.PFASdon’tjuststayinwater.Theycan contaminatesoil,harmplants,andevenpoisonanimals.Because theydon’tbreakdown,theystickaroundandspread,disrupting entireecosystems Bycleaningupwatersystems,we’realso helpingtopreventfurtherdamagetonature.
Ofcourse,meetingthesenewstandardsisgoingtobetough,especiallyforsmallerorruralcommunitiesthatdon’thave themoneyortechtoupdatetheirwatersystems Tohelp,thegovernmentisputting$9billionintoimprovingwater infrastructurethroughtheBipartisanInfrastructureLaw.ThisfundingwillgotowardremovingPFASandhelping communitiestackleothercontaminants.There’salsoaprogrammetohelpsmallercommunitiesgetaccesstoresources andtechnicalsupport
Onthebrightside,theserulescouldpushindustriestocreatecleanertechnologiesforwatertreatment.Eventhoughit’s expensive(about$1.5billionayear),thelong-termbenefits-likesavinglives,reducingillnesses,andrestoring ecosystems-areworthit Thesechangesmightalsoinspiremoreactiontoreducepollutionoverall,likelimitingtheuseof harmfulchemicalsinthefirstplace
TakingactionagainstPFASisahugewinforthe environment.Thesechemicalshavebeenamassive problemforyears,pollutingwater,harmingwildlife,and damagingecosystems BylimitingPFASindrinkingwater, theU.S.isnotjustprotectingpeoplebutalsogiving natureachancetoheal.Hopefully,thisisthestartofa biggerefforttocleanupthemessandpreventmore damageinthefuture
THE UK‘S SOLUTION TO POLLUTION Carbondioxideemissionshavedominatedheadlines,buttheUK'sinnovativesolutionisturningthetide.Entertradable pollutionpermits—aningeniouscap-and-tradesystemthatdoesn'toutrightbanemissionsbutstrategicallylimitsthem, pushingfirmstoinvestingreentechnologyforasustainablefuture.Thebrillianceofthisschemeliesinitsabilitytoharness marketforcestosmartlydistributepollutionallowances.It’sasystemthat’snotjusteffective it’srevolutionaryinreducing carbonemissionsandpromotingcleanertechnologies.Thisishowitworks:Tobeginwith,thegovernmentestablishesa limit(cap)onthetotalamountofgreenhousegasesthatindustriesundertheschemecanemit Thiscapissegmentedintoa specificnumberofallowances,eachgrantingtheholdertherighttoemitonemetrictonofCO2.
Theseallowancesareeitherallocatedforfreeorauctionedtocompanies Eachcompanymustpossessenoughallowancestocoveritsemissions fortheyear.Firmsthatsuccessfullyreducetheiremissionscanselltheir surplusallowancestothoserequiringmore,thuscreatingamarketwhere thepriceisgovernedbysupplyanddemand Companieswithhigher emissionscostscanpurchaseallowances,whereasthoseabletocut emissionsmoreeconomicallywillsellthem.
Annually,companiesmustsubmitasufficientnumberofallowancesto covertheiractualemissions.Shouldtheyfailtomeetthisrequirement, theyfacesubstantialfines.Overtime,theoverallcapisgradually reduced,promptingcompaniestoperpetuallyseekwaystodiminishtheir emissions In2024,thecapwassetat69millionallowances,downfrom 79millionin2023.
Bypricingcarbonandenablingtrading,theUKEmissionsTradingSystemincentivisescost-effectiveemissionsreduction, drivinginnovationandsupportingagreenereconomy.TheschemeexemplifiestheUK'sdedicationtoaddressingclimate changethroughsmart,market-drivensolutions.
Todate,theETShaseffectivelycappedthetotalemissionspermissiblebyindustries Thecapisdesignedtodecrease progressively,aligningwiththeUK'snet-zeroobjectives Therequirementforcompaniestoholdpermitsfortheir emissionshasdriventhemtoreducetheircarbonfootprint,resultinginsignificantemissionsreduction.
Furthermore,companieshavebeenmotivatedtoinvestincleanertechnologiestolowertheiremissionsandcircumvent theexpenseofpurchasingadditionalpermits Thishasspurredinnovationandtheadoptionofmoresustainablepractices withinindustries.Thetradableaspectofthepermitsenablescompaniestobuyandsellthemfromeachother,offering flexibilityinhowtheymeettheiremissionstargets.Thismarket-basedapproachpromotescost-effectivereductionsand allowscompaniestostrategicallyplantheiremissionsmanagement.Thetradablenatureofpermitsoffersflexibility, promotingcost-effectivereductionsandstrategicemissionsmanagement TheUK'sETShassetaglobalexample, encouragingothernationstoadoptsimilarschemesanddemonstratingthepotentialformarket-basedmechanismsto drivesubstantialenvironmentalimprovementsandcombatclimatechange.
ByJoungYounH
ENDANGERED ANIMALS PROGRESS Thankstostrongconservationinterventionsmanyanimalspec
Herearesomeimportantexamples:
The Iberian lynx TheIberianlynxiscurrentlymakingaslowreturnthroughcontinual progressafterbeingonthebrinkofextinction.Therewereonce fewerthan100individualsremainingintwoisolatedpopulations, butthankstothededicatedconservationefforts,theyaremakinga remarkablerecovery.Theirdeclinewasmostlyduetoagriculture, increaseddevelopmentalongroadwaysandastruggleforfood. In2008,Portugaldecidedonimplementinganationalconservation plantosavethespecies Theplanfocusedonrestoringnative habitats,maintainingwildrabbitpopulations(itsprey),minimising threatsandpreventingunnaturalcausesofdeathandreleasing captivebredindividuals.Asaresultofthis,thelynxpopulationhas growntoover2,000individualsinSpainandPortugalby2024,this hasledtoitsreclassificationfrombeing"endangered"to "vulnerable"ontheIUCNRedList.AlthoughsightingsoftheIberian
lynx are still rare, the lynx’s recovery gives a lot of hope that, with continued monitoring, the species will be reintroduced into the wild. For now, they feel secure and confident the Iberian lynx has been saved.
The marsh fritillary butterfly Themarshfritillarybutterflyisascarcebutbeautifulspecies,whichis beingreintroducedintotheWelshcountrysideaftervanishing The butterfliessufferedthedeclineasaresultofthelossandneglectof flower-richgrassland,butnowhundredsofbutterflieshavefluttering about.Thissuccessisthankstoagroupofconservationistsfromthe InitiativeforNatureConservationCymru Theteamrescued caterpillarsfromtheirnaturalhabitat,rearedthemandthenreleased thembackintothewildwheretheybelong.Thiscanbeseenasa controversialapproachbutRobParry,thefounderofInitiativefor NatureConservationCymru,feelsitisincreasinglynecessaryand emphasisedthat‘manyofourspeciesareonthebrink,rightonthe edge,andwecan’taffordtomonitorthemdisappearing.’Thisisn’tthe
onlypracticeinplaceforthesebutterflies,avarietyofotherconservationpracticesarebeingimplemented.Thisincludes; creatingasuitablehabitatbyadegreeoflightgrazingwhichisessentialt usuallyunsuitablehoweveritmaybeusedasarestorationtoolwhenunsu carefulscrubcutting,providingshelterforinsects,whichisvitalforthese thisspecies.
Caretta sea turtles ConservationistsarecelebratingtheresurgenceofthecarettaseaturtlesinGreece afterthehighnumbersofnestsrecordedexceededdocumentedrecords.Since 2023,theannualnestingnumbershaveincreasedfrombetween5,000and7,000to over10,000,whichmarksahugesuccessinconservationeffortsoverthelast25 years.Greeceholds60%ofallcarettaseaturtlenestssoWWFhavehelpedprotect keysightsinGreecebyorganisingaEuropeancampaign.Throughthis,they purchased90%ofSekaniabeachinordertoprotectitasSekaniaBeachisthemost important‘nursery’forthisspecies-laying500to1000nestseveryyear.These turtleswereonceabundantandthriving,butnowtheyfacechallengeslikerising tourismand‘lastchancetours’thatthreatenmarinehomes.Climatechangeandpollutioncontinuetohaveasignificant threat.Thismeanstheywillremainendangereddespitesurgingformillionsofyearswhichmakesitcrucialthatthe governmentexpandsandenforcesprotections Thisisbecauseifthecurrenteffortsandenforcementsaren’tmaintained andstrengthened,theprogressmadecouldbeundone ByEllieG
FUTURE LEAP & YOUNG CHANGEMAKERS Duringatimeofenvironmentalurgency,longtermeffectsofclimatechangeandresourcedepletionnowadayscancause devastationforfuturegenerations.Sustainabilityinourmodernsocietyisbecomingincreasinglyimportant,ascompanies andcountriesworktogethertoaidenvironmentalprotection,socialequityandeconomicgrowth.CliftonCollegehasbeen attheforefrontinpromotingsustainablechange.Thisyear,withDrGreenesigningthecontractofsupport,ourUpper Schoolstudentsareinvitedtojointhe‘YoungChangemakersProgramme’providedbySEEd(sustainabilityand environmentaleducation),togainanin-depthunderstandingofsustainabilitythroughtripstosustainableorganisations, likeFutureLeap,inordertohelpdevelopasenseofagencyforengagingwithsustainabilityandclimatechange.
So,WhatIsFutureLeap? FutureLeapisaneco-friendlybusinesshubinBristol, dedicatedtosupportingorganisationsontheir sustainablejourneys,offeringawiderangeofservices OpenedinApril2022,theirCliftonhubprovidesmedia studiosandco-workingspacesforpurpose-driven companies,creatingacollaborativeenvironmentto focusonsustainability Theirnetworkingisalso innovativelycrucial,leadingoneofBristol’smost impactfuleventseries:‘FestivalofSustainable Business,’sharingtheirexpertisetotransform companiesusingforward-thinkingchanges Besides this,FutureLeapprovidesspecialisedconsultancy servicestoassistorganisationsinachievingtheir sustainabilitygoals.Theirexpertiseincludescarbon consultancy,renewableenergysolutions,andguidance onattainingBCorpcertification-giventobusinesses thatmeethighstandardsofsocialandenvironmental performance,transparency,andaccountability,based
onacompany'sgovernance,employeewelfare,environmentalimpact,andcommunityengagement InJune2024,Future LeapachievedBCorpcertificationthemselves,reflectingtheircommitmenttosocialandenvironmentalresponsibilityto worktowardsnetzeroby2050,becomingoneofthelargestgreenbusinessnetworksintheUK.
HowDidTheyHelpOurSchool? Asrevealedfromlastyear’sEco-Clifton,ourschoolhaspartneredwith FutureLeaptocompleteourfirsteverwholeschoolsustainabilityaudit, foraBimpactassessment.Theyhavecalculatedourcarbonfootprint usingspecialisedmeasurementstoinvestigateallthescopesofthe College Thisincludescarbonthatisproducedbothdirectlyand indirectlybyus,fromenergyusedforlightingupclassroomsorheaters inourdorms;toimpactsoffoodwasteleftinBSK,orourowncarbon emissionsfromtravellingtoschool Lately,theyhavesuccessfully calculatedmostfactorsandprovidedtheschoolwithourowncarbon profile,alongwithadviceoncarbonreductionplansacrosstheCollege, tomeetourownsustainabilitycriteria.Thishasbeenpresentedformally tothetopoftheCollege,whileour‘youngchangemakers’alsoreceived valuableinsightintotheirfindingsfromthisreport
OurTripToFutureLeap InNovember2024,studentstakingpartinour‘youngchangemakers’ programmereceivedaspecialpresentationandworkshopofpositive nextstepsinFutureLeap’sCliftonhub.LedbyOldCliftonianAlanBailey, wewereshownthefindingsoftheaudit.Theimpactreportoverviewcan befoundhere
FUTURE LEAP & YOUNG CHANGEMAKERS Asasummary,welearnedthatthemajority(82%)oftheCollege’s carbonfootprintbelongsinscope3-thewidest,indirectscope. Thisincludesthecarbonemittedfromstudent’sexternaltransport, liketravellingbyair,coveringmost(90%)ofourtotalcommute emissions.However,studentshavetoreturnhomeandrejointheir belovedfamilies,meaningthatwehavealotofuncontrollable factorsinwhichourcarboncountisnotlimitable.Otherfactorslike wastefulheatlossoutofourgraded,historicbuildingsalsoaren’t fullymanageable,astheirsplendidinfrastructurecannotbe tamperedwith.Fortunately,therearequiteafewareaswherewe canimprovetoachieveoursustainabilityvision.Althoughwemight havebeenwastefulonourenergyusage,foodwasteandoveruse oftransportationacrosstheCollege,studentsdevisedmanyplans toimprovespecificareasofimportanceintheFutureLeap workshop.Forexample,weformedtransportschemestosupport pupilstotraveltogethertoairports,asourcommutetakesupa shocking37%oftotalcarbonfootprint;alongwithreinstalling radiatorvalvestopreventheatingoveruse,asthecombustionof gasaccountsfor68%ofbuilding-relatedemissions.Wealsohave planstointroducemorerecyclingbinstorecyclewaste,orcarry
outpromotionstoincreaseawarenessoffoodwaste WiththehelpofFutureLeap,theseideascouldsoonbeusedbyour ‘youngchangemakers’astheirSEEdprojecttoenhanceClifton’sprogresstowardssustainability,whilefosteringtheir collaboration,innovationandresilience,tobeequippedwithconfidenceandknowledgetosurviveinaworldwhereboth peopleandtheplanetcanthriveforgenerationstocome.
Formoreinformation,hereisthefullcarbonimpactreport ByGalronL
THE CULTURE BEHIND SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION Ourconsumptionofresourcesiseverevolvingandisconstantlyreshapedbyamyriadofsocialandeconomicfactorswhichcanbothpushusawayfromanddriveustowardsthegoalofacultureofsustainableconsumption.
Tounderstandtheseverityoftheinfluenceofthesocioeconomicclimateontheculturesurroundingconsumptionwemust firstlookbacktothepast.
In1750,theUKbegantoundergoasectoralshiftfromprimaryindustries suchasagriculture,tosecondaryindustries,thusbeginninganeraof increasingmechanisation.Theprogressiveriseintheuseofcoalandoilin factoriesisoneofthemostwellrecognisedformsofunsustainable consumptionofresources.Wesacrificedtheenvironment,partiallydueto alackofinformationandotherwisetosatisfyaninsatiabledesirefor growthandprogress
Intheearly20thcentury,atransitionoccurred.Resourcefulnessand scarcitymindsetsbegantoprevailandthisallowedareuseandrepair culturetoblossomfromtheoppressivenatureoftheGreatDepression andthesecondworldwar.
Laterinthe20thcentury,massconsumptionandincreasedsuburbanisationoccurred Theallureofabundancepermeated everyaspectoflife.Ratherthanproducingproductsthatwerebuilttolast,theyweresimplydesignedtobreakasplanned obsolescencecatalysedsales.Furthermore,adisposableculturecontinuedtoprevailasfastfashionandsingleuse plasticsbecameanew,andratherdystopian,normal
Aswehaveseenthroughouthistory,wehaveshiftedbetweenabundanceandscarcitymindsets-butnowinthe21st century,wehavefoundourselvesinanerawherewehavefullyimmersedourselvesinabundanceandrampant consumerism.Someareslowlytryingtosubdueit.Fromthefirst“EarthDay”in1970toGoogle’srecentuseofAItomake theirdatacentrescarbonneutral,thesmallseedofsustainableconsumptionhasbeenplantedandhasslowly-butsurely -beguntogrow
Wearecurrentlyundergoingamajorculturalshiftconcerningsustainability.Onthemacroscale,theEU“righttorepair” lawsnowrequirenewproductstobemoreeasilyfixedthanreplaced.Governmentsareattemptingtocompletelyphase outpetrolanddieselpoweredcarsby2035andaglobalplasticstreatyiscurrentlybeingpioneeredbytheUnitedNations Onamoreindividuallevel,resaleplatformsandcircularfashionaremorepopularthanever,minimalistlifestylessuchas “capsulewardrobes”arebeingembracedandthisisclearlyseenbythefactthat75%ofconsumersarereportedtobe tryingtoreduceunnecessarypurchases.Additionally,42%ofconsumersgloballysaythattheyareactivelyreducingtheir meatconsumptionandrecordquantitiesofplantbasedfoodssuchasoatmilkandimpossiblemeatarebeingpurchased TraintravelinEuropealsoincreasedbyover50%in2023andalloftheseexamplestrulyshowhowindividuals, corporationsandgovernmentsareallmakingpivotalchangesforagreenerfuture.
Butafterallthis,itbegsthequestion:Whatisstoppingusfromconsumingin themostsustainablemannerpossible?Sadlyweareallatthemercyofthe intention-actiongap Thisisawelldocumentedbehaviouralphenomenon whichexplainsthedisjunctionbetweenourintentionsandtherealityofour behaviour.Additionallystatusquobiasleavesustrappedinthefamiliarityof whatweknowandevenifweareabletoovercomethis,wearestill-evenin thisageofinformation-lefttodeciphermisleadinggreenwashingand conflictinginformation.
Eventhoughwehavemadenoticeablestridestowardsamoresustainable, eco-consciousworld,westillhavequiteawaytogo Hopefullynudge policiessuchascarbonlabels,frictionlessrecycling,havinggreenenergy sourcesasthedefaultchoiceandnewinnovationwillleadusevercloserto thesustainablepracticesthattheplanetcraves.
ByAmyF
INDONESIAN WOMEN RESTORING THEIR HOMELAND’S CORAL REEFS InIndonesia,anationrenownedforitsstunningcoralreefs,womenareattheforefrontofrestorationefforts,playinga crucialroleinenvironmentalprojectsthatempowerlocalcommunities Theseinitiativesnotonlyaimtorevivethemarine ecosystembutalsoenhancethesocialandeconomicstatusofwomen,fosteringasenseofagencyandleadership.
CoralreefsarevitaltoIndonesia'sbiodiversityandthelivelihoodsofmillionswhodependonfishingandtourism,inaworld withoutcoralreefstherewouldhaveatleast50%lessoxygenforustobreathe However,theseecosystemsfacesevere threatsfromclimatechange,pollution,andoverfishing.Inresponse,variousorganisationshavelaunchedprojectsthat specificallyengagewomenincoralrestorationactivities.Byinvolvingwomen,theseprojectsrecognisetheirtraditional knowledgeandskills,whichareoftenoverlookedinenvironmentalmanagement.
Onenotableinitiativeistheinvolvementofwomenincoralgardening, wheretheycultivatecoralfragmentsinnurseriesbeforetransplanting themontodegradedreefs.Thishands-onapproachnotonlyhelpsrestore thereefsbutalsoprovideswomenwithasourceofincomeandaplatform todevelopleadershipskills.Astheytakeonrolesascommunityleaders andeducators,thesewomenbecomeadvocatesforsustainable practices,influencingtheirfamiliesandcommunitiestoprioritise environmentalconservation
Moreover,theseprojectsoftenincludetrainingprogrammesthatequip womenwithknowledgeaboutmarineecosystems,sustainablefishing practices,andtheimportanceofbiodiversity Thiseducationempowers themtomakeinformeddecisionsaboutresourcemanagementand encouragesthemtoparticipateinlocalgovernance.Aswomengain confidenceandexpertise,theychallengetraditionalgenderroles,paving thewayforgreaterequalityintheircommunities
Theimpactoftheseinitiativesextendsbeyondenvironmentalrestoration.Byfosteringeconomicindependence,women cancontributetotheirhouseholdsandcommunities,enhancingtheirsocialstatus.Thisshiftnotonlybenefitsindividual familiesbutalsostrengthenscommunityresilienceagainstenvironmentalchallenges.Whenwomenareempowered,entire communitiesthrive,leadingtomoresustainablepracticesandimprovedlivelihoods
Inadditiontocoralrestoration,manyprojectsalsofocusonraisingawarenessabouttheimportanceofprotectingmarine ecosystems.Womenoftenserveaskeycommunicators,sharingtheirknowledgewithothersandinspiringcollective action Theirinvolvementinadvocacyeffortshelpstoamplifythevoicesoflocalcommunitiesindiscussionsabout environmentalpoliciesandconservationstrategies.
Thesuccessoftheseinitiativeshighlightstheimportanceofintegratinggenderperspectivesintoenvironmentalprojects. Byrecognisingandsupportingtheroleofwomeninconservation,organisationscancreatemoreeffectiveandsustainable solutionstoenvironmentalchallenges.Thisapproachnotonlybenefitscoralreefsbutalsofosterssocialequityand communityempowerment.
Inconclusion,Indonesianwomenareplayingapivotalroleinrestoringtheir homeland'scoralreefsthroughvariousenvironmentalprojects.These initiativesempowerwomenbyprovidingthemwithskills,knowledge,and leadershipopportunities,ultimatelybenefitingboththeenvironmentandtheir communities Asthesewomencontinuetoleadthechargeincoral restoration,theyarenotonlynurturingtheocean'sfuturebutalsopavingthe wayforamoreequitableandsustainablesociety.InIndonesia,anation renownedforitsstunningcoralreefs,womenareattheforefrontof restorationefforts,playingacrucialroleinenvironmentalprojectsthat empowerlocalcommunities.Theseinitiativesnotonlyaimtorevivethe marineecosystembutalsoenhancethesocialandeconomicstatusof women,fosteringasenseofagencyandleadership.
ByTszYanC
HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A RELIABLE GRID WHILE SWITCHING FROM FAMILIAR FOSSIL PLANTS TO RENEWABLES? Astheworldtransitionsfromfossilfuelstorenewableenergy,oneofthebiggestchallengesismaintainingareliable powergrid.Traditionalcoal,oil,andnaturalgasplantsprovideconsistent,controllableelectricityoutput,whereas renewableslikewindandsolarfluctuatewithweatherconditions Toensureastablegrid,innovativesolutionsareneeded tomanagethevariabilityofrenewablesources.Hawaii’srecentreplacementofitslastcoalplantwiththeKapoleiEnergy Storage(KES)facilityinlate2023isaprimeexampleofhowbatterystoragecanplayacrucialroleinensuringgrid reliabilitywhilemovingtowardcleanenergy.
TheChallengeofGridReliabilityinRenewableTransition
Areliablepowergridmustbalanceelectricitysupplyanddemandinrealtime. Fossilfuelplantsofferconsistentpowergeneration,whilerenewableenergy sourcesdependonnaturalconditionsthatcanchangeunpredictably.Ifsolaror windenergysuddenlydropsduetocloudcoverorcalmwinds,thegridmusthave analternativesourcetopreventblackouts.Additionally,traditionalfossilplants contributetogridstabilitybyprovidinginertia naturalresistancetosudden frequencychangesinthepowersystem.
WhenHawaiishutdownitslastcoal-firedpowerplantin2022,itfacedacritical gapingridreliability.Theplantprovided15%ofOahu’selectricityandasteady powersourcefortheisland’senergyneeds.Initsplace,thestateturnedtobattery storage,highlightingakeymethodformaintainingreliabilityinarenewableenergy system
HowHawaii’sKapoleiEnergyStorageHelpsStabilizetheGrid
TheKapoleiEnergyStoragefacility,developedbyPlusPower,isoneoftheworld’smostadvancedbatterystorage projects Thesystemconsistsof158TeslaMegapack2XLbatteries,offering185megawatts(MW)ofdischargecapacity and565megawatt-hours(MWh)ofstoredenergy.Thisallowsthegridtoabsorbexcesssolarpowerduringthedayand releaseitduringpeakeveninghourswhenenergydemandishighestbutsolarproductionislow.
SomeServicestheKapoleiEnergyStorageProvidefortheGrid
FastFrequencyResponse:Thesystemreactswithinmillisecondstochangesinpowersupplyanddemand,helpingto maintainstablegridfrequency. 1
SyntheticInertia:Unlikespinningfossil-fuelgenerators,batteriescanreplicatethestabilisingeffectsofinertia, preventingsuddenpowerfluctuations. 2.
4.
Black-StartCapability:Ifapoweroutageoccurs,KEScanrestartthegridwithoutneedingexternalpowersources 3 RenewableEnergyIntegration:Byreducingrenewableenergycurtailment thebatteryensuresthatmorecleanpower isutilisedinsteadofbeingwasted.
LessonsforOtherRegions
Hawaii’sapproachtoreplacingcoalwithbattery storageprovidesamodelforotherregionsmoving awayfromfossilfuels.Large-scalebatteries,in combinationwithrenewableenergysources,canoffer gridstabilitywhilereducingdependenceoncarbonintensivepower.However,challengesremain,suchas ensuringadequatestoragecapacityforprolonged periodsoflowrenewablegenerationandmakingthese solutionscost-effectiveonalargerscale Asmoreareasadoptsimilarstrategies,investmentsin energystorage,smartgridtechnology,anddiversified renewablesourceswillbekeytobuildingaresilient, low-carbonpowersystem Hawaii’sexampleshowsthat withcarefulplanningandinnovativetechnology,a reliableandsustainablegridisachievable.
A DISCONNECT FROM NATURE? Risingglobaltemperaturesandanincreasinglackofbiodiversityimpliesafailingrelationshipbetweennatureandhumans, whichappearstobeespeciallyprevalentwithintheteenageyears ThiscanbeseenintheNatureConnectionIndex(2019), whichclearlyshowsasharpdipintheconnectionthatteensandyoungadultsfeelwithnature,whichonlystartstorecover intheadultpopulationataround30yearsold.Whyistheresuchadividebetweenyoungpeopleandthenaturalworld, despitethebenefitsofspendingtimeoutdoorsandtheinterestweshouldhaveinprotectingourplanet?
Thisdisconnectcouldstemfrommanyreasons;urbanisationand limitedgreenspacesmeanthatmanyyoungpeoplelivewithin citiesorsuburbanareaswithlittletonoaccesstonaturalspaces, sotherearefarfewerareasthatallowforsocialorrecreational activityoutdoors Thisisespeciallyprevalentinareasoflower income,wheregreenspacesmayalsobepoorlymaintainedor unsafe.Thisclearlydoesn'thelpmaturetherelationshipbetween teenagersandwhataccessiblegreenspacethereisleft.Academic pressureandthestructureofdaytodaylifealsohasabigimpact ontheinteractionsbetweenyoungpeopleandnature-whichhas cometobeseenaslessimportantcomparedtoacademicsand productivity.Itisdifficulttofitspendingtimeoutdoorsrelaxing intoanalreadyoverflowingschedulewithlessons,sportsand extracurriculars,aswellasthepressurefromexamsthatrequire severalhoursofextrastudyaweek-mostyoungpeopledon't havetheenergyortimetospontaneouslyspendtimeoutdoors,no matterhowbeneficialitmaybe
Butwhataretheconsequencesofthis?Manystudies,suchastheoneincludedintheElsevierscientificjournal,have provedthatspendingtimeinnaturecansignificantlyboostmentalhealthbyreducingstressandanxiety.Beingingreen spacescanservetocalm,reducecortisollevels,andpromoterelaxation.Withmuchlessexposuretonature,teenscanget tooburntoutfromtheconstantstimulationfromsocialmediaandanoverlybusytimetable.Spendingtimeoutdoorsalso helpsbyallowingyoungpeopletodomorephysicalactivity,whichismuchneededtoavoidhavingasedentarylifestyle Oneofthemostconcerningconsequences,however,isthatthisdisconnectisfesteringalackofenvironmental awarenessamongteenagers.Thosethattendtospendmoretimeoutdoorshaveanincreasedlikelihoodofdevelopinga strongerappreciationfornaturecomparedtotheirpeers,andthusaremorewillingtoengageinconservationefforts. Teensthatdon’texperiencethebeautyofnaturearoundthemmaynotseetheurgencyinprotectingitastheyperceive issueslikeclimatechangeanddeforestationasabstractconceptsoverrealworldproblems.Youngpeopleneedtohavea strongerconnectiontonatureinordertohavetheincentivetoprotectitandfightforenvironmentalsustainability.
Whatcanbedonetohelpbridgethatgap?
Encouragemorenaturebasedactivitieswithin familiesandcommunities. 1. Limitscreentimetoencourageotherpursuits. 2 Integratenatureintolearningandeducation 3 Promotenatureasasocialspace.4. Encouragetheoldergenerationstoleadby example. 5.
Thegrowingdistancebetweenyoungpeopleand natureisconcerning,buttherearestillmanythings thatcanbedonetohelprebuildthisrelationship. Natureisn’tjustaplacetovisit,itisimportantfor bothmentalandphysicalhealth,andencouraging teenagerstoembracetheoutdoorswillnotonly benefitthem,butitwillensurethesafetyofour planetforgenerationstocome
ByOliviaNA
UK UNIVERSITIES AND THEIR NEW FOSSIL FUELS PLEDGE Whatarefossilfuels?
Afossilfuelisafinite,andthereforenon-renewable,energysourcethatis derivedfromtheremainsofancientplantsandanimals Theyarethemain energyresourceoftheworldandareusedtoheatbothmachineryinfactories andcars.
The‘FossilFreeUniversities’campaignbeganin2013andhasrecentlyhelpedenactachangeaffectingvastnumbersof peopleofallagesandbackgroundsaroundthecountry As‘FossilFreeUniversities’havefoughtfortheirfuture,theyhave encouraged115outof149UKuniversitiestopledgetodivestfromfossilfuels.Toputinplainterms,byuniversities divestingfromthefossilfuelindustry,theyareremovingbothdirectandpooledinvestmentsinanycompaniesinvolvedin theextractionand/orproductionoffossilfuels Bysellingofftheircurrentinvestmentsinthefossilfuelindustry, endowmentstotallingroughly£177billionarenolongeravailabletothefossilfuelindustry!Alongsidethis,these115 universitieswillalsoshifttheirfutureinvestmentplansawayfromthefossilfuelindustry.Byundertakingtheseactions, theuniversitiesaresignallingashiftneedstobetakentoamoresustainableeconomy,alongsidemovingtheirfunding awayfrommajorcontributorstoclimatechange Furthermore,thisinitiativemayattractmorestudentswithapassionfor sustainabilityandtheenvironment,encouragingvoicesfromtheyoungergenerationtobeheardinordertomakerequired change.
What’sthepoint?
Toclearthingsup,fossilfuelsarenotthemostidealsourceofenergyformultiplereasons:
1.Theyareafiniteresource-thismeansthattheresourceisbeingusedupfasterthanitisbeingreplaced.Asfossilfuels arefinite,weneedtostopusingthemandconsidertheimpactonourfuturegenerations,hencewhytheworldasawhole isattemptingtoshifttheglobaleconomytowardsrenewableenergysuchassolarorgeothermalpower,becauseonce theyrunoutthereisnowaywecanreplenishthematanadequaterate
2.Whenfossilfuelsareburnttoproducetheenergyrequiredtoheathomesandprovideelectricitytoruncapitalgoods (machines,carsetc.),theyreleaseagreenhousegascalledcarbondioxide.Nowyoumaythink‘ohashumanswebreathe outcarbondioxide-itcan’tbethatbad,right?’Wrong!Greenhousegasesplayahugeroleinglobalwarming.Asthesun’s raysentertheatmosphere,theyarethenreflectedoffEarth’ssurface AstheraystrytoexitEarth’satmosphere,some rayshitthegreenhousegases(carbondioxide).Thesegreenhousegasespreventthesun’sraysescapingbackintospace. Byabsorbingtherays,thisleadstoaslowincreaseintheEarth’stemperature.Thiseffectisintensifiedbythesheer volumeofgreenhousegasesweproducetoday,contributingtotheever-increasingglobalwarmingcrisis.
Ultimately,byremovingtheirinvestmentinfossilfuel companies,universitiesarehighlightingtheirsupportin movingawayfromfossilfuelsbeingtheirmainsourceof energyalongsideitbeingusedaroundtherestoftheworld asamainfuelsource Asanever-increasingnumberof peopleenrolinuniversityintheUK(including564,940 studentsin2024)thisisagoodplacetomakeastartinorder tomakeanimpactfulchange.Notonlywilluniversitiestaking asteptowardsamoresustainablefutureaffectthose attendingthedesignateduniversities,butasthemajorityof studentsareyoungpeople,whattheylearnatuniversitywill determinewheretheworldendsupinthefuture.Therefore, bytheireducationhubtakingstepsawayfromfossilfueluse, ourfutureisbeginningtolookalittlebrighter.Iftheideaof sustainableenergyanddivestingfromfossilfuelcompanies istreatedasthe‘socialnorm’aroundtheparticipating universities,studentsarelikelytocarryoutthisinitiative acrossthewiderworldandwemayseeachangebeginto occuraroundattitudestowardsfossilfuelusage;hopefully thiswilleventuallyleadtothecompletephaseoutoffossil fuelsacrosstheglobaleconomy
ByAmeliaL
