Eco-Clifton Summer Term 2025

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ECO-CLIFTON

CELEBRATING POSITIVE SUSTAINABILITY NEWS

HOW DOGS ARE HELPINGWITH REWILDING

HOW DRONESARE HELPING OUR RAINFORESTS

HOW SOLAR POWER IS REVOLUTIONISING RURAL INDIA

FROMBALLOONSTOBAGS: BRISTOL'S

SeetheSustainabilityPodcastforan exclusiveinterviewwithMartinHartleyanesteemedexpeditionphotographer withover400daysspentonpolar expeditions,includingmorethan25 missionstotheArcticandAntarctic.

COULD DE-EXTINCTION HELP BIODIVSERITY?

HOW DOGS AREHELPINGWITH REWILDING

DogsareextremelycleveranimalswithhighIQsand extremelyhighstamina.Aswellasthesephysical qualities,dogsareveryloyalandcaneasilylearn complextasksquicklyandefficiently.Thesequalities makedogsusefulanimalsthatcanbeusedtoperforma varietyoftasks.Inthepast,dogshavebeenusedfor manyotherjobssuchashuntingandsearching.Dogs continuetobeusefultodayworkingwiththepolice, guidingtheblindandsupportingpatientsinhospitalsfor example.

Recently,dogshavebeenabletohelphumanswiththe importantconservationtaskofrewilding.Rewildingisthe processofrestoringanaturalhabitat’secosystemandfood webbacktohealthylevels.Rewildingisusedtomakethe landscapemoreresilientanditaimstorestorethenatural beautyofaspace.InEastSussex,dogshavebeenhelpingto rewildalocalnaturereserve.Dogsarewearingspecially designedpouchesthatsprinklewildflowerandgrassseeds aroundthegroundsasthedogsgoontheirdailywalks.This methodhelpstorewildthesereservesbyrestoringthe ecosystem,aswellasincreasingtheaestheticappealsofthe reserve.Rewildingandconservingtheseecosystemsis importantbecauseitensuresbiodiversityandhelpstoensure alltheanimalsinthereservecanthrive.Biodiversityis importantformaintainingnaturalprocessessuchaspollination, waterpurificationandnutrientcycling.Restoringecosystems alsocreatespleasantpublicspacesforwalksandrecreation, whichcanincreasementalandphysicalwell-being.

“TheprojectisrunbytheRailwayLandWildlifeTrustinLewesanditaimstoreplicatetheactivityofwolveswhichwould haveroamedtheparkbackin1760.Withwolvesnolongerinthepark,anewalternativeisneeded:incomethedogs!Using dogstosprinkletheseedsmeansthatlargeareascanbecoveredquicklywhilstthedogsareenjoyingtheirwalks.The reservecoversanareaof25acres,quiteamanageableareafordogstonavigatewithouttoomuchexertion.Usingdogsis alsobeneficialbecausetheycanreachareasthathumansormachinesmaynotbeabletogetto.

Inaninterview,projectmanagerDylanWalkersaid“We’vebeensoexcitedaboutthis project,it’saboutgettingdogsanddogwalkersinvolvedinnatureconservationon thereserve”.Dylanalsosaid“Ifwewentback1,000yearswewouldhaveseen wolvesandpossiblybearsroamingthelandscape,theremighthavebeenbison,wild boarandwildhorses.Theyallhadapositiveimpactontheecosystem.”Dylansaid thatthereservewassmallandurbansodidn’thavethespacetothinkaboutbringing backwildboar,horsesorbison.Hebelievesthatdogsaretheidealsubstitute.

OtherrewildingprojectscurrentlyongoingintheUKincludeusingfarmanimalsto managevegetationandrebuildhabitats,communityprojectstorewildtheseaand alsothereintroductionofoldtreespeciesbackintoBritain.

UsingdogsinprojectsliketheoneinLewesiscost-effectiveandalsoagreatwayto involvethepublicwhocanwalktheirdogsinbeautifulareasaswellashelptorewild ourenvironments.Likeweeklylitterpicksandcommunityclear-ups,thisideacould reallytakeoffandbecomeevenmorebeneficialinthelongrun.Ifotherreservesuse thisideawecouldseedogshelpingtorewildreservesalloverthecountry.

HOW DRONESAREHELPINGOUR RAINFORESTS

Rainforestscoveronly1%oftheEarth'ssurface,however theUKisoneofthesmallpercentagethatstillhasthem. AlthoughafifthofBritainwasoncecoveredinrainforest landscape,only1%ofthisremainstodaydueto deforestation.Rainforestsareoneofthemostthreatened ecosystemsintheworld,buttheyarecrucialtothe environmentastheyareabiodiversityhotspotandarehome tomanyorganisms-suchas2000speciesoflichen. Especiallyinthesouth-westofEnglandinDevonand Cornwallwhere75%wasoncerainforestbutnowonly10% remains,sorestoringthisecosystemwouldbevitalin addressingtheclimatecrisis.Theclimatecrisisisaproblem thatshouldn'tbeoverlookedandapartinsolvingitshould bedevelopingnewinnovativemethodstorestoreand expandtemperaterainforestsasitisapowerfulstrategyin combatingclimatechangebyincreasingthecarbonstorage andabsorption.

Totacklethisproblem,theWoodlandTrust,whichisthelargestwoodlandconservationcharity,andSouthWestRainforest AllianceledaprojectnearBodmin,Cornwall,scattering75,000seedsusingdronesover11hectaresoflandin8hours. Theyscatteredseedsthatwerenativetothetemperaterainforestwhichincludedpedunculateoak,alder,wildcherry, downybirch,andhazel.

Therearemanybenefitstousingdronesratherthanhumans.Thedrones,whichweighed110kgandcouldcarryupto58kg, wouldbemuchmoreefficientandcheaperthanvolunteersatdispersingseeds.Therewasalsoanaspectofsafetyand accessibilitytoit,asmanypotentialsitesforplantingmightbetoosteep,unsafeorremoteforpeopletoreachorthesoilis toothintodigwithspades.Droneswouldsolvethisproblemastheydonothavesuchrestrictionsandcanremovethe limitationsthathumanshave.However,therearealsoconcernsaboutusingthistechnique,suchasweathermakingthe interventionlesspossibleandlowseedsurvivalrates.Researchhasalsoshownthatalargepopulationofseedsthathave beendroppedbydroneareunlikelytosurviveduetopoorsoilconditions,predation,ortheenvironmentbeingunsuitable. Toaddresstheseconcerns,theprojecthasincludedcontrolareasacrossthesitetocomparedroneseedingandnatural forestregeneration.AimingtorevisitthetrialsitesinintervalsoverthreeyearstheWoodlandTrustwillreviewtherateof seedgerminationandthedevelopmentofplantedtrees.

Theprojectofficer,SamManning,hopesthattheyseea 25%successrateinthistrialwhichwouldinspire practitionersandfunderstoinvesttimeandmoneyinto refiningtheeffectivenessofthedronesfortherainforest project.Achallengethattheycurrentlyfaceisthatvery fewcompanieshavethelegalpermissionfordrones. Anotherproblemtheyhaveisthesupplychainforseed scatteringprojectsofthatscale.Toensureanincreasing supplychain,theyarehopingforincreaseddemandofthe productthatwouldincreasethesupplychain,which wouldhelpthewoodlandcreationimmensely.

Theauthorof OurOakenBones,MerlinHanbury-Tenison ownspartofthelandwheretheplantingtookplaceand saysthat“ifwe’retoreversethisdestruction,thenwewill needtoleverageinnovativetechnology-enabled solutionswhereverpossible.Icannotthinkofabetter exampleofthisthanthedroneseedingprojectthatthe WoodlandTrusthasembarkedonintheCabillaValley.”

HOW SOLAR POWER IS REVOLUTIONISING RURAL INDIA

Remotelocations,suchasthevillageofBasavanagiriHadi,andtheforestedhillsofMysore,inthesouthernIndianstateof Karnataka,arebeingtransformedbyasolar-poweredprogramme.ThisschemeisspearheadedbytheSelcoFoundation andbackedbytheIKEAFoundation,andshowshowdecentralisedsolarsolutionscandramaticallyimproveeducation, safetyandeconomicopportunityinruralareas,providingasuccessfulmodeltobeusedaroundtheglobe.Theschemeis designedtoprovidereliable,cleanandaffordableelectricityto25,000ofthecountry’sstate-runprimaryhealthcare centres,aswellastoexploreentirelynewwaysofdeliveringhealthservices–likethe‘tele-clinic’intheMysorevillage,a healthcarecenterwheremedicalequipmentandmobileconnectionstodoctorsareavailable.Solarenergywaschosenas amorestableandcosteffectiveoption,eveninthegridconnectedareas,astheelectricitywasunreliableintheserural townsandvillages

Howthiswasachieved:

Transformationinhealthcare:

Beforethisprogramme,thenearestdoctorwasaday'sjourney byfootandbusaway,andtherewasnomainselectricity.This drasticallyincreasedthehealthrisksimposedevenbyminor injuriesandtherewasnoeasyfixorsolution

“InthepastIhadtotravelalongwaytoseeadoctor.Ittookall dayanditcostafairbit,too.NowIjustwalkuptotheclinic.It’s somucheasier”-localresidentofBhanumathi,Chikkamani Kullaiah.

Butthroughthisprogramme,localshavetheopportunitytowalk ahundredmeterstoahealthclinicpoweredbysolarpanels, whereaspeciallytrainedhealthworkercanprovideacheckup, runatests,taketheirbloodpressureormaybegivethemsome lifesavingtreatmentormedicineandconnectthemtoadoctor onlinewhichwouldotherwisebenearimpossible

Healthclinicswerecreatedandupdatedtocontainandharnesssolarenergybyusingsolarpanelsandbatteries, enablingtele-consultationswithdoctorsindistanthospitals.

ThetrainingoflocalhealthworkersincludedhowtooperateequipmentsuchasECGmachinesanddigital stethoscopes,aswellastoperformtests,reducingthetimeandcostsneededtotraveltohospitalsinlessruralareas.

Theprogrammealsopowersprimaryhealthcenters,keepingtheelectricityconstantandreliableduringprocedures suchaschildbirth,andallowingstorageofsuppliesandvaccines,forexample.

Theabilityforhealthworkerstoserveremoteandisolatedpatients,e.gpregnantwomen,usingmobilesolar-powered kits.

Changinglivelihoods:

Theuptakeofskillssuchassewingandphoto-IDbusinesses,usingsolarpoweredmachines,predominantlybywomen in‘self-helpgroups’togainfinancialindependenceandboostlivingconditions.

Solarenergyisusedinenablingartisanssuchasblacksmiths,tailors,anddairyfarmerstoworkmoreefficientlyand thereforebooststheirincome

Socialbenefits:

Streetsandhomesarenowbeinglit,reducingtheriskpresentedbywildlife,andincreasingsafetyforchildrenand othermembersofthecommunitiesatnight Childrenarealsoabletostudyafterdark,givingthemmorefreedomwith theirtime

Theprogrammeinvolveslocalresidentsintheclinicsandemploysthemtoprovideservicestotherestofthe community,improvingtrustwithinthevillagesandtowns.

Thispositivestoryprovesthatwecanbringconnectionandpowertoothercommunitiesandthatwecandoitsustainably Thisideacouldalsobeharnessedinlessrurallocations…

“NevermindremoteruralIndia,Ithought,wecouldusethisincrowdedurbanEngland”-SunilKumar,health facilitator. Toreducethelikelihoodofpowercutsandrelianceonfossilfuels,thisprojectprovedthattheswitchtorenewableenergy ispossible,providinghopeandinspirationinindustryandhealthcare.

FROM BALLOONS TO BAGS: BRISTOL’S BOLDTAKEONSUSTAINABLE STREETWEAR

Oneofthefirstthingsthatcomestomindwhenyouthinkabout Bristol(otherthantheCliftonSuspensionBridgeandslightlyiffy weather)ishotairballoons,andrightfullyso.Bristolisconsideredto bethebirthplaceofmodernhotairballooninginEurope,andhoststhe BristolBalloonFiestaannuallyinAugust-attractinghundredsof thousandsofvisitors.It’salsohometoCameronBalloons,theworld's largestmanufacturerofhotairballoons,foundedin1971.

Rerun:APioneerBrandofSustainableStreetwear.

RerunisaBristolbasedcompanyfoundedbyTobyThorpeandWilf Hastings,whometinoneofBristol’sskateparks.Theircompany startedbyreworkingvintageworkwearandhassinceexpandedinto upcyclingtextiles.TheirtravelstotextilewastehubsinIndiaand Indonesiawasaturningpoint-there,theysawthevastscaleof clothingwaste.Thorpedescribeditas‘eyeopening….Thesheermass ofwarehousesfulltothebrimwithsecondhandclothesthatpeople felloutoflovewith30yearsago.’Thisreinforcedtheircommitmentto makingsustainablefashion,andtheirskateboardingrootshelpedto influenceRerun’suniquestreetwearaesthetic.Sincethen,Rerunhas upcycledcargopantsintomessengerbandsanduseddeadstock fabricsforshortsandshirts.

Rerun’sLatestProject:TakingBristol’sIconicBallooningIndustryinaNewDirection. TheirlatestprojecthastakenBristol’siconicballooningindustryinanunexpectednewdirection:thestreets.Hotair balloonsmustbemadewithhighquality,lightweightmaterials,butduringproduction,lotsofthisendsupgoingtowaste. RerunhaspartneredwithCameronBalloonstosalvagehighperformance,nylonfabricoffcuts,whicharelightweight, durableandUVresistant.Thoughthelightweight,slipperyfabricposedchallenges,RerundesignerTheoFort-Schaale embracedthesecreativelimitationstodevelopdistinctiveandfunctionalbags.

Theresult?40-litre,colourfulmessengerbags,whichweredesignedwithcyclistsinmind(anodtoBristol’slargecycling community).Theyarelightweight,andofferdurabilityandweatherresistance,muchneededforcommutinginthecity.

EnvironmentalBenefits

Byutilisingfabricoffcutsthatwouldotherwiseendupin landfillsortextilewastehubs(liketheonestheyvisited), Rerunhelpstoactivelyreduceindustrialwaste.Repurposing existingmaterialsremovestheneedforvirgintextile production,whichtypicallyusesvastamountsofwater, energyandchemicals.Ontopofthat,theysourcetheir materialslocally-CameronBalloonsisamerefiveminute cyclefromRerun’swarehouse,minimizingtransportation costsandcarbonemissions,andreinforcingalocalised supplychain.

FROM BALLOONS TO BAGS: BRISTOL’S BOLDTAKEONSUSTAINABLE STREETWEAR

Additional

Theirbagsaredesignedandconstructedtobeeasilyrepairedwithastandardsewingmachine,whichencouragestheir customerstomendthemratherthandiscardthem.Eachbagismadefromsmallerpatternpieces,allowingReruntoreduce wasteevenfurther.Leftoverscrapsfromonedesigncanbeusedinthenext-makingeachpiecepartofalongerstory (showingthebasisofthecirculareconomytheory).Plus,eachbag’suniquecoloursandpatchworkdesignmeanthat repairsaddtotheitem’sdistinctivecharacter,ratherthandetractingfromitsappearance.

CommunityFocus

Reunisabrandcommittedtocommunityengagement,throughworkshopsandeducation.Incollaborationwiththeethical clothingcompanyFinisterre,theyhostsewingandscreenprintingworkshopstoteachpeopleaboutupcyclingandrepair skills.Theseworkshopsfosteracultureofsustainabilityandself-sufficiencyinBristol’scommunities,andcelebrate creativity.Bydemonstratingthevalueofrepurposedmaterials,Rerunencouragesotherstoimplementsustainable practicesintotheirownlives,andtoseethevalueinwhatistypicallydiscarded.

AModelforSustainableFashion

Rerun’sapproachtofashionisapowerfulexampleofacirculareconomywherematerialsarekeptinuseforaslongaspossibletoreducewaste. Theirinnovativewayofusingindustrialhotairballoonoffcutssetsan exampleforotherfashionbrandstoexploreusingalternativematerials, andtousesustainablepracticeswhilstmanufacturingaswell.Iflarger brandsadoptedevenjustafractionofRerun’swaste-reductionstrategies, theindustry’senvironmentalfootprintcouldshrinksignificantly.

Bycreatingdesirableproductsfromrecycledmaterials,Rerunisnotjust reducingwaste,they’rechallengingconsumerperceptions,andpromoting environmentallyconsciouspurchasingdecisions.Theirsuccessproves thatsustainabilitydoesn’thavetocompromisestyle.Inaworldwherefast fashionisthenorm,Rerun’sapproachtofashionoffersabreathoffreshair, oreven,ahotairballoonliftingusintotheirsustainablefuture.

THE BENEFITSOFEXERCISINGINNATURE

Wecanalladmitthatnatureisbeautifultolookat,withthetreesandbirdsongandflowers,buthowmanyofusactually enjoyit?Doyoufeelclaustrophobicorsafeindoors?Around80-90%ofourlivesarespentunderroofs.Asstudentsand membersofsociety,wespendthemajorityofourtimeindoors,learning,workingandrelaxing;weevenexerciseindoors asgymshavebecomethedefaultplacetoworkout.So,isthereadifferencebetweenexercisingoutdoorsorindoors?

Whydoweyearntobeunderthesun?Historically,humansevolvedinnature, withitprovidingourshelter,foodandsecurity.Thereforeourdesiretobe outsidecorrelateswiththisancientneedtobewherewearemadetobe.Not onlydoesbeinginnaturebenefitourmentalhealth,asmentioned,butour bodiesneedit.FromthesunwereceivevitaminD,andjustfrombeingoutside wereduceourbloodpressure.Thisshowsusthatwearemadetobeamongthe trees,listeningtobirdsong,feelingthebreathsofnature.

Whilstgymsofferconvenienceintheirstability,sincetheirconditionsdonot dependontheweatherortemperature,itlacksthoseessentialsensorybenefits thatbeingoutsideprovides.Throughexercise,wereceivedopamineand endorphinswhichelevateyourmood,butalsohelpsyousleepandthinkbetter andclearer.Sowithallthesebenefits,howcanexercisingoutsideenhancethe alreadymarvellousmentaladvantagesandobviousphysicalones?Studies showspendingmoretimeoutdoorsboostsyourmentalhealth,reducingstress levels,anxietyanddepression-allofwhichcannegativelyaffectyourphysical healthtoo.Adifferentstudystatedthat90%ofpeoplefelttheiroverallwellbeingimprovebyjustbeingoutdoors.Byinvestingineveryaspectofyour health,youareincreasingthechancesofthepositivechangesbroughtby exercisetoyourphysicalhealth,withlongerlastingresults.Also,exercisedoes notneedtobedifficultorlong,itcanbeassimpleastakinga15minutestrollor cyclingtoworkorschool,whichismoresustainablethancars,quickerthan walkingandmostlyaccessible!

Whetheryoufindnatureanescapeorawaytoreconnectwithfriendsandfamily,therearemultiplewaystoincorporate naturethroughchangesinyourlifestyle,thisdoesn’tmeanreschedulingyourdayaroundbeingoutside,butitcanifyou wantto!Thismightincludechoosingtowalktoschoolorworkifyouareable(andweatherpermitting!),orsittingoutside forlunch,teaorwhilstdoingasedentaryactivity.Insteadofgoingtothegym,workingoutinanaccessiblegardenor outsideareaisagoodalternative,howeversomepreferthemachinesinaspecialisedfacilitylikethegym.Ifyoudoneed totraininagym,thinkaboutstretchingorrunningoutdoorsratherthanonatreadmill.Eveniftheweatherisabitdismal, coats,umbrellasandwelliesallowforamorecomfortableexperiencewhennotdoingverystrenuousexercise,andasthe Germansayinggoes,youarenotmadeofsugar!

Exercisinginnaturehasnumerousstrengthsthatoutvalueworkingoutinasweatygym.Beingoutdoorsallowsyouto personaliseyourworkouttoyourself,andisamoreaffordableoptiontopayingforagymmembership.Fromincreased cognitivefunctioning,mentalhealthandlowerstresslevels,natureisabalmtothesoul.

THE CULTURE BEHINDSUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION

Peoplehavealwaysthoughtthatgreenenergytariffsweregame-changing,butuntilnow,theywerenothingbut greenwashing.

Agreenenergytariffisaformofcontractthatisbeingmadeincreasinglyavailablebymanymoreenergyproviderswhere householdsandbusinessesareabletoconsciouslychoosetousesustainableenergyfromrenewablesources!That soundsperfect,doesn’tit?

But,asalways,there’sacatch.

Eversincethe1990s,whenthesetariffsfirstappeared,mostwellmeaningconsumerswereundertheimpressionthatthiswouldmeanthat 100%,orattheveryleastthemajority,oftheenergythattheyconsumed wouldbesolelyfromrenewablesources.Sadly,thiswasnever,andstill isn’t,areality.Weareonlynow,afteralmostfourdecadesofdeception, realisingthatwe’vebeenhoodwinked.Thisisbecause,regardlessofany extrafeespaid,thereisnofeasiblewayofguaranteeingthesourceofthe energyweuseasitallcomesfromtheUKgrid,amixingpotofrenewable, non-renewableandimportedenergy.

Asweallknow,thisisacommonoccurrenceincapitalist,profitdrivensocietiessuchasours.Greenwashingandother lackluster,emptyattemptsatprovidingsustainablealternativesareunderstandablydesirabletocompanies,asthe promiseofprofitandpraisethataccompaniesagreenimageisdesirableenoughtooverpoweranyformofmorality.

Soyoumaybethinking,aregreenenergytariffscompletelyuseless?AmIwastingmymoneybypayingextratobuyinto thesedeceptiveschemes?Theshortanswerisno.Whilegreenenergytariffsarenotasrevolutionaryastheyinitially appear,theyaren’ttotallywithoutmerit.

Thetwomainformsofgreenenergytariffare:StandardGreenTariffsandGreenPlusTariffs.Butwhatdotheseactually do?Inmostcases,astandardgreentariffwillbewhatisknownas“100%RenewableMatching”.Thismeansthatthe electricityprovidermustpurchaseavolumeofrenewableenergyequivalenttothecustomer'susageinkilowatt-hours. Whilethiscannotensurealltheenergyyoudirectlyuseisgeneratedfromrenewablesources,itdoesproportionally increasedemandforrenewableswhich,intheory,hasasimilareffect.Ontheotherhand,Greenplustariffs,otherwise knownas“FullyRenewablewithDirectInvestment”plans,meanthatyourenergyproviderwillpledgeanunspecified amountofmoneyforinvestmentinrenewableinfrastructure,aswellasrenewable-matchingyourenergyconsumption.

Luckily,thesituationisn’tfullofdoom,gloomandhalfbakedpromises.Policymakersandregulatorshavefinallytakena standandaretakingstepstoremovethemetaphoricalsmokescreenthatweknowasenergygreenwashing.

TheUKgovernmentrespondedtoasurveybyGoodEnergythatshowedthat73%ofUKconsumersdesiredstricter regulationsbydoingjustthat.Thegovernmenthasalreadyinitiatedmass-scalereviewsandinvestigationstodetermine whetherUKenergyprovidersareoverexaggeratingboththepricesandenvironmentalbenefitsofthegreenenergytariffs theyprovide.Additionally,thegovernmenthasconsciouslydecidedtoenhancestandardsoftransparencyand, consequently,asofMarch2025,theyhavepledgedtoreformandrefinethesystemsusedintheenvironmentalpermitting regimeusedbyenergyproviders.Furthermore,goodenergyhasintroducedthe“GoodGreenSupplyStandard,”which clearlysplitsenergyintothecategoriesof:

‘TrueGreen’-where100%ofenergyissourceddirectlyfromrenewableplants.

‘NewGreen’-whereagivenproportion(often40%)ofenergyissourcedfromnewlybuiltrenewableplants.

‘TimeMatchedGreen’-whereyourenergyusageismatchedtorenewableenergyeveryhourorhalfhour. Allthesesystemsaimtomakeiteasierthanevertomakesustainable,wellinformedchoices.

Eventhoughwestillhavealongwaytogo,itiscomfortingtoknowthatconsumers,thegovernmentandenergyproviders aremakingsizablestridestowardsagreener,moresustainablefuture.

NEW USE FOR OLD WINDTURBINES

ASustainableTwistonModernLiving

Windturbinesareanincreasinglyimportantsourceofrenewableenergy,whichmanycountriesrelyontocutenergycosts andreducedependencyonfossilfuels.Inanerawheresustainabilityismorethanatrend,andcreativeanduniquehousing solutionsarehighlysoughtafter,oneinnovativeprojectisturningheads–andturbines.

BreathingNewLifeIntoWindTurbineComponents

By2020,alargeabundanceofbigturbineswereproducingover650 gigawattsofelectricity,butofcourseeverythingcanonlyworkforso longbeforebecomingfaulty.Windturbinestypicallyhavealifespanof20 to25years,afterwhichtheyareoftendismantledanddiscarded.Withan estimated5,000turbinesbeingdecommissionedannually,thechallenge ofmanagingthisgrowingvolumeofwasteissignificant.Toaddressthis, Vattenfall,aEuropeanenergycompany,partneredwithDutchdesignfirm SuperuseStudiostotransformadecommissionedwindturbineintoan astonishingtinyhome,offeringbothasustainableandstylishwaytolive off-grid.

Measuringapproximately10metresinlength,3metresinwidth,and3metresinheight,thenacelle(toppartofthewind turbine)hasbeeningeniouslyconvertedintoalivablespace.Theinteriorfeaturesessentialamenities,includingakitchen, bathroomwithtoiletandshower,andsufficientinsulationanddaylightaccess.Thehomeissuppliedwithaheatpump, solarpanels,andasolarwaterheater.It'scompletelyfurnishedwithsecond-handitems,emphasisingitseco-friendly credentials.

DesignerJosdeKriegerofSuperuseStudiosnotedthattheV80nacellehitsa“sweetspot”largeenoughtobehabitable, yetsmallenoughforlandtransportation.Withapproximately10,000V80turbinesinoperationworldwide,theconcept holdspotentialforbroaderapplication.However,scalingupwouldrequireaconsistentsupplyofdecommissionednacelles whichpresentscertainchallenges.WhileVattenfallcurrentlyhasnoplanstomass-producethesenacellehomes,the companyisopentoprovidingcomponentstointerestedparties.Thisinitiativenotonlyoffersanovelapproachto sustainablelivingbutalsocontributestothecirculareconomybyfindingnewusesforobsoleterenewableenergy infrastructure.

Notonlyisthenacellebeingrepurposed,butit'salsosparkedideasintorepurposingthebladesofwindturbines,they're notoriouslyhardtorecyclebecausethey'remadefromacarbon-fibrecomposite.Numerouscompaniesarealready creativelyreusingthem.Forexample,beingrepurposedtomakefurnitureandevenabusshelter,andReBlade,awind turbinedecommissioningservice,isgoingtoinstallcanopiesconstructedfromdiscardedblades.

Off-GridandOn-Trend

Thisprojecthasattractedattentionfromenvironmentalists,architects,and tinyhomeenthusiastsalike.Itservesasablueprintforhow decommissionedinfrastructurecanbecreativelyrepurposed,ratherthan becomingpartofthegrowingindustrialwasteproblem.Whetherasfulltimeresidences,weekendretreats,oruniqueAirbnbexperiences, convertedturbinehomescouldrepresentanewwayofsustainableliving.

Thestoryofthedecommissionedwindturbineturnedtinyhomeisa testamenttowhat'spossiblewhencreativitymeetssustainability.

NEW SHOPS THATPROMOTESECONDHANDFASHION

Inaworldincreasinglyshapedbyfastfashion,aquietrevolutionisunfolding,lednotbybigbrands,butbyagrowing networkofsustainable-mindedshopschampioningsecond-handfashion.Theseshopsaren’tjustthriftstores,theyare stylish,curatedspacesthatcombineaffordabilitywitheco-consciousness.Andthey’repoppingupincitiesandtowns everywhere.

Second-handfashionhascomealongwayfromthestigmaofbeing“old”or “used.”Today,it’sapowerfulwaytocombatthewasteandpollutioncausedbythe fashionindustry,whichisresponsiblefor10%ofglobalcarbonemissionsand20% ofwastewater.Everysecond-handpurchasereducesdemandfornewproduction, meaningfewerresourcesareused,andlessclothingendsupinlandfills.

OneexcitinginitiativeisCharitySuper.Mkt,acollaborativepop-upshopthatbrings togetherdonationsfrommultipleUKcharitieslikeOxfam,AgeUK,andBarnardo’s. Sincelaunchingin2023,ithasopenedlocationsinplaceslikeBrentCross, SpitalfieldsMarket,andCanaryWharfinLondon,aswellascitieslikeLeedsand Edinburgh.Thestoresofferacurated,boutique-styleexperiencewithliveDJsand themedcollections,makingsecond-handshoppingfunandfashionable.

AnotherstandoutisLoopGeneration,apremiumresaleplatformspecializinginpre-loveddesignerfashion.Theirflagship storeislocatedat171–175DraycottAvenueinChelsea,London.LoopGenerationoffersluxurybrandslikeGucci,Dior,and SaintLaurentatupto80%offretailprices,providinganaccessiblewaytoshopsustainablywithoutcompromisingon style.

Forthoseinterestedinunique,one-of-a-kindpieces,TheLoopVintageisasmallbutpassionateonlineshopthatcurates vintageclothingfromthe’60stothe’90s.Foundedin2020,theyfocusonsourcingquirkyanddistinctiveitemsthat celebratethepastwhilepromotingsustainablefashion.

Andlet’snotforgetonlineplatformslikeVintedandDepop,whichcontinuetogrow,connectingmillionsofyoungpeople whowanttobuyandsellclotheswithminimalenvironmentalimpact.Theseplatformshaveturnedsecond-handshopping intoacommunityexperience,wherestyle,sustainability,andself-expressionmeet.

Whatmakestheseshopstrulypowerfulistheirmessage:fashiondoesn’thavetocosttheEarth.Theychallengethe throwawaycultureoffastfashionandinspireagenerationtodresswithintention.Forstudentslikeus,theyofferasimple butmeaningfulwaytotakeactionfortheplanet,withoutgivingupstyle.

Sonexttimeyou’retemptedbyafast-fashionsale,considercheckingoutasecond-handshopinstead.Youmightjustfind somethingmoreoriginal,andmoresustainable,thanyoueverexpected.

HOW RESEARCHERS ARESAVING ANTARCTIC PENGUINS

Thinkoftheword‘penguins.’Whatdoyouthinkinstantly? Youmightthink,perhaps,ofatuxedo-wearingbird,cheerful andwaddling,incrediblyendearingandadorable.Butbehind thatcheerful,lovingbirdisareal-lifestruggle,amuch harsherreality:survivalinarapidlychanginglandscape.

Inthelastdecadeorso,wehavefurtherescalatedaclimate crisisonourbelovedEarth.Thousandsofspeciesare affectedbyourselfishactions,amongthemtheemperorand adeliepenguinsintheAntarcticaTundras,whichcurrently haveanestimatedpopulationof275,000andaround10 millionrespectively.Butthesenumbersdon’teventellthe wholestory.

Weunderstandthattheyarebeingaffectedbyclimate changeinlotsofdifferentways.Buttruly,howseverelyare theybeingaffected?

Tounderstandthisfurther,adedicatedteamoffieldwork assistants,includingNatachaPlanque,sponsoredbyWWF (WorldWideFundforNature)havejourneyedintothefrozen wilderness,monitoring25islandsbyhelicopterandon-foot. Theironemission:understandingtheeffectofclimate changetopenguinpopulations.

Duringtheirresearch,theycounted38,000adeliepenguinscouplesand34,000chicks,populationsthathavesupposedly beenrisingsince1985inPointeGeologie,however,incontrasttothisbroaderdatafromtheWWF,adeliepenguin populationshaveactuallyhadaworrying25%declineoverthepast25years-aconcerningissue.Meanwhile,aneven morealarmingissueemerges,amassbreedingfailureforemperorpenguinsinrecentyears,aclearsignalofthe environmentaleffectonthem.InanarticleonOceanographic,emperorpenguinsarepredictedtobelosttoclimatechange altogetherby2100,ifthecurrenttrendcontinues.Scientistsarenowpushingforraisingemperorpenguins’extinction threatleveltovulnerableorevenendangered.Studiesshowthatifaprotectedmarineareasuitablefortheemperor penguinpopulationisnotestablished,withinourlifetimemost,ifnotall,emperorpenguincolonieswillcollapse.

Theseissueshavebeencausedbyouractions.Duetoclimatechange,seaice,alargepartoftheAntarcticecosystem,is meltingrapidly,whichinturnhascausedadeclineinkrill,atinycrustacean,andmostimportantlythepenguinpopulation’s mainfoodsource.Additionally,warmertemperaturesaffectnaturalbreedingcycles,whichcauseeggstohatchtooearly, ornotatall.

Andso,tokeepaneyeonpenguinpopulations,theteammonitors300chicksusingdevicescalledpit-tags,littletracking devices.Thesepit-tagsallowthemtobemonitoredwithminimalinterferenceontheirlives,whileprovidingvaluabledata onthesepenguins’survival,populationandmovement.

Whyisthisrelevanttous?

Thesepenguinsmayseemincrediblyfarawayfromoureverydaylives,butcouldthisbealessontous?Theirstruggleisa mirrorofanissuethatincreasinglyloomsclosertoourselves,onethatdemandsurgentattentionfromallofus.Wemust facetheconsequencesofourmeddlinginthenaturalworld.

Itistimetoact.Climatechangeisnotsomethingfaraway,itisnotadistantthreattopassontoourdescendants.Itisa presentdanger,andthepenguinsareonlythestart.

THE CONTROVERSIAL CLIMATE COOLING PROGRAMME

Whatisgoingtobeimplementedandwhy?

Theplanetiscurrentlyfacingalongandtroublingbattle:climatechange,which directlyleadstoglobaltemperatures continuingtoincreaseatadistressingrate Thiscauseswidespreadconcernsaboutthefutureofourplanet Consequently,asthesechallengesgrowmoreurgent,theUKgovernmentisintendingtofund£60milliontowards combatingthispresentissuethroughasetofcontroversialexperiments,whichmaybeginasearlyaswinter2025.They aimto,fundamentally,artificiallycooltheearth Theseexperimentswillentailexploringsolarradiationmodification,which isatypeofgeoengineeringwhichlookstoreflectsunlightbackintospace,thereforehopefullyreducingglobal temperatures.

Whatdoesthisinvolve?

Solarradiationmodifications(SRM)aretechniquesthatmimicna thatoccur(suchasvolcaniceruptions)andreflectaportionofth backintospace.Theintendedprojectswillexperimentwithvario

ThisincludesMarineCloudBrightening(MCB):Sprayingfine intotheairinaimstobrightencloudsinordertoincreasethe StratosphericAerosolInjection(SAI):involvesintroducingsm particlesintotheatmosphereinordertoreflectsunlight,whi slowsclimatechange.

SeaIceThickening:ExperimentingwithmethodstothickenA thereforeonceagainmakingitmorereflective.

Spacebasedreflectors:Blockingsolarradiationbyplacingm orbit.

Thesetechniquesarestillintheexperimentalstagesandwillbefurthertested.TheAdvancedResearchandInnovation agency(ARIA)stressedthatallexperimentsoutdoorswillbeheldunderstrictenvironmentalassessmentsandpublic consolation Theultimategoalistotemporarilylowerglobaltemperaturesandtoslowtheeffectsofclimatechangeand notworseneffects.

Whynow?

Thereisanenormousamountofurgencysurroundingtheseexperimentsastheaverageglobaltemperaturehasrisen immensely,exceedingtheparisagreementthresholdtemporarily.Unnervingly,climatescientistsestimatethattheworld isgoingtoexceedthelimitpermanentlybytheearly2030s.ThisposesariskofirreversibledamagetotheEarth'sclimate. Asmanyargue,therearealternativewaysofcombatingtheclimatecrisisbuttheescalatingproblemsmeanwemust exploreemergencyclimateinterventions.Thisiswheregeoengineeringisapossiblesolution.

Whataretheconcerns/disadvantages?

Despitethepotentialthisprogrammeholds,therearevariousseriousconcernssurroundingSMRbecauseasweinterfere withnaturalsystems,thesemethodscancausestrongwarminginthetropics,warmingpolarregions,alteringrainfall patternsandevenchanginglargescaleweatherpatterns.

Therearealsoethicalconcerns,asmanyexpertsdwellonthefactitcanalsoreducethedrivetotackleclimatechange fromtheroot(burningfossilfuels)whichoverallisthebestandmosteffectivewaytohelpcombatclimatechange. Whileglobalaveragetemperaturesmaybereduced,theclimateincertainregionsmayworsen Therefore,thishas resultedinpeopledisagreeingandnotsupportingthesetechniques

Inconclusion,whilethisclimatecoolingprogrammeallowsandoffershopeforinnovativeclimatesolutions,itraises scientific,environmentalandmoralquestions Astheworldisfightingthemidstoftheclimatecrisis,thepathgoing forwardmustbecontinuedwithcaution

COULD DE-EXTINCTION HELP BIODIVERSITY? WHAT THE DIRE WOLF’S RETURN MIGHT TEACH US

InApril2025,biotechnologycompanyColossalBiosciencesmadeheadlines withthebirthofthreewolfpups,geneticallyengineeredtocloselyresemble thelong-extinctdirewolf.NamedRomulus,Remus,andKhaleesi,thesepups arepartofaprojectvisionedtorevivelostspeciesusingcutting-edgegenetic technology Whilethisannouncementsparkedpublicfascination,fueledinpart bypeople’senduringlovefordirewolves,italsoraisedimportantquestions withintheconservationcommunity.Cande-extinctionsupportbiodiversity?A recentBBCFuturearticle(‘Whyscientistsfearattemptstoresurrectextinct animalsmaybackfire’)highlightsthecautiousstancemanyecologistsand conservationistsaretaking.Yetalongsidethoseconcerns,there’sagrowing conversationabouthowthistechnology,ifhandledresponsibly,couldcomein handyinsupportingthefighttoprotectbiodiversity

ANewToolforConservationScience

Oneofthemostcompellingargumentsforde-extinctionprojectsliesinthebenefitstheybringtoconservation technology.Theprocessusedtorecreatedirewolf-likepupsinvolvedisolatingancientDNA,editing20specificgenesin graywolves,andrefiningnon-invasivecloningmethods Thesebreakthroughsarenotonlyaboutresurrectingextinct animals,theycanalsobeappliedtohelpendangeredspecieslivingtoday Infact,similarmethodshavebeentrialledto cloneendangeredredwolves,boostingtheirgeneticdiversityinawaythatcouldstrengthenthepopulationagainst diseasesandpsychologicalstresses.Thisapproachtogeneticrestoration,byintroducingadvantageoustraitsto strugglingspecies,provideshopeforbiodiversityconservationinourrealityofclimatechangeandhabitatloss Inthissense,theworkbeingdonewithdirewolvesmayhelpindirectlytoprotectspeciescurrentlyunderthreat,offering newtoolsandgeneticinsightsforwildlifeconservation.

RestoringEcologicalBalance WithCaution

Despitenotbeingexactlythesameastheirlong-gonerelatives,direwolvesmaystillsupportourecologicalrestoration efforts Previoussuccessesinreintroducingtoppredatorshavedemonstratedbeneficialimpactsonecosystems,as evidencedbythereturnofgraywolvestoYellowstoneNationalPark.Thesepredatorsmanagepreypopulationsand balanceecosystemandfoodwebsintheirareaandbeyond.Ifmanagedwisely,direwolfproxiescouldyieldsimilar ecologicalresults Criticsarguethatcarefullyplannedrewilding,includingde-extinctspecies,couldbringcomparable benefits.Nonetheless,theBBCarticlehighlightsthatourecosystemshaveevolvedsincetheeraofthedirewolf, underliningthenecessityforstrategicadaptations.Toachievesuccessfulreintroduction,comprehensiveecological evaluationswillbevitaltoavoidunwantedrepercussions.

ASustainabilityIssueofBalanceandResponsibility

Atitsheart,thedebateoverde-extinctionisaconversationaboutprioritiesand responsibilityinconservation.Criticsworrythathigh-profileprojectslikethis coulddivertresourcesfromprotectingendangeredspeciesandpreservingfragile ecosystemstoday.There’salsotheriskofcreatinganimalsthatmaystruggleto surviveinalteredmodernhabitatsordisruptexistingspeciesrelationships. Butothersarguethatde-extinctionandtraditionalconservationdon’thavetobe mutuallyexclusive Ifguidedbyecologicalforesight,strictethicalframeworks,and acommitmenttobiodiversityhealth;theseprojectscouldcomplementbroader sustainabilityeffortsratherthancompetewiththem.

TheBiggerPicture

Forthesustainabilitycommunity,therevivalofthedirewolfoffersmorethanjusta remarkablescientificstory,itinvitesadeeperreflectiononhowweusetechnology tointeractwiththenaturalworld.It’sareminderthatwhileinnovationoffersgreat potential,itmustbeaccompaniedbyresponsibility,long-termvision,and appreciationforecologicalcomplexity. Asnewtoolsemerge,thekeyquestionwillbenotjustwhetherwecanbringback extinctspecies,butwhethersucheffortswillcontributetoabalanced,biodiverse, andresilientplanetmoremeaningfully

UK UNIVERSITIES ANDTHEIRNEW FOSSILFUELS PLEDGE

Climatechangeisatopicthatisbecomingincreasinglymorepopular,yetnoteveryoneunderstandstheextenttowhichit affectseveryone’slives.Whilealotofpeoplemayonlythinkofourplanetheatingupasbeingthemainissue,thereare alsomanymoreproblemsthatarebecomingfarmorecommon-includingextremeweather,pollutionanddisease outbreaks.Climatechangeisallowingsomediseasestothriveinawaytheynevercouldbefore,andotherfactors,suchas pollution,arecausingchronicillnesses,likeasthmaandheartdisease,tobecomemuchworse.

Satellite-basedclimatedataallowsustoseehowthe environmentischanginginrealtime,whichmakesiteasierto predictthingslikehealthcrises,thereforemeaningwecantake preventiveactionpriortoanyoutburst.Thishelps,notonlyto savelives,butalsotoprovidemorecost-effectivesolutions,as thehealthriskisalreadyknownbeforeitbecomesadisaster, andthisissoessentialtomanypeopleashealthcarecostsare rising.Medicalprofessionalsandpolicymakerscanmake informeddecisions,whilethecorrelationbetweenclimate scienceandpublichealthcanberesearched.

Diseasesarenowspreadingmore,andinnewways,with waterbornediseasesbeingahugeproblemformany.Itis predictedthatnon-choleraVibrioinfectionsintheUSmay increaseby50%by2090.So,whyisthis?Risingocean temperaturesareallowingthesediseasestothrive,causing hugeoutbreaks,butwecanusesatellitedatatomonitorsea surfacetemperaturesandpredictthespreadofbacteria.Other reasonsforthesewaterbornediseasesare,theincreasein flooding,stagnantwaterandpollution,allofwhichprovidea breedinggroundforbacteria..ThingslikeE.coliandLeptospira tendtoaccompanyfloodwaters,sohighriskfloodzonesaretracked,warningsaresentandpreventativemeasuresare taken.Agoodexampleoftheimportanceoftheuseofsatellitesischolera.Scientistswilloftenpinpointwherethis bacterialgrowthwilltakeplacetofindhighriskareasbymonitoringchlorophylllevelsinlakesandoceans.

Mosquitosareanothercommonwayinwhichdiseasesarespread,forexampleinItalymillionseachyearareinfectedby theWestNilevirus.Satellite-basedclimatedatahasallowedustoanalysechangesintheclimateandsurroundingland, helpingtofigureoutwherethevirusmaystrikethroughlookingattemperature,humidityandvegetation,which demonstratewherethemosquitosarelikelytobreed.Breedingsitesareextremelyhelpfulforthepreventionofdiseases, whichiswhytheMalariaAtlasprojecthasbeenusingthisdatatomaptheseareas. Diseasesarenottheonlythingscausinghealthproblemsthough,airpollutionandextremeheatarethesilentkillersthat canoftenleadtoheartproblems,strokesandevenaprematuredeath.AlotofurbanareashaveahighlevelofPM2.5, whichisafineparticulatematterthatpenetratesintolungs,causinglungconditionsandrespiratoryproblems.Itis essentialtomonitorthese,whichiswhyESA-fundedprojectscombinethissatelliteimagerywithAItocreatedetailed pollutionmaps,whichalsodemonstratehowurbanisationanddeforestationaffecttheairquality.Allthisdataispublicly available,whichcanallowpeopletomakeinformeddecisionsbasedontheirlocalenvironment.Thereareairqualityapps warningusersaboutthepollutionlevelsandhavedisasteralertsystemswhichtrackwildfires,floodsandhurricanesin realtimesoyoucanjusthavealookatsomeoftheclimatedataonline.

Satellite-basedclimatedataisconstantlyimproving,andisgoingto beanessentialtoolinwhatistocomeforourbattleagainstclimate change.Someofthenextstepsaretodeveloparealtimedisease trackingsystemwhichwillallowustohaveanevenfasterresponse, developingpersonalisedhealthalertswhichwillwarnpeopleabout theirairquality,UVexposureandheatrisks,andcreatingAIdriven climatemodelswhichhavepredictivealgorithmstoidentifyanynew diseasehotspotsbeforeoutbreaksbegin.Satellitesareoneofour keytoolstosurvivingthisdisasterwe’vebroughtuponourselves.

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