Critically ill patients in African hospitals aren’t getting the care they need: new survey: When someone falls critically ill, hospitals are expected to provide life-saving care. But in many African countries, intensive care units are rare. Critically ill patients are treated in general hospital wards, and the provision of essential emergency and critical care is …
Early years funding boost: why the UK government is prioritising getting children school ready: Robert Kneschke/Shutterstock The UK government is putting money into early years education in England. A funding boost of £75 million is intended to increase the number of staff and places for children in nurseries. The pupil premium for early years is …
Antifungal resistance is not getting nearly as much attention as antibiotic resistance – yet the risks to global health are just as serious: TopMicrobialStock/Shutterstock Fungi are known for causing superficial infections of the nails, skin and hair, but they can also cause systemic infections that can have much more serious health implications. Indeed, over 6.5 …
Getting carbon capture right will be hard – but that doesn’t make it optional: Kodda / Shutterstock The UK government has given the go-ahead to carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) schemes worth £22 billion (US$ 28.6 billion). Critics are insisting that this technology – which involves capturing carbon as it is emitted or taking …
UN security council: African countries face hurdles and dangers in getting permanent seats: There is growing global consensus among the members of the United Nations that the UN security council, responsible for maintaining international peace and security, requires reform or restructuring to reflect the current balance of forces, and to improve its working methods and …
Why wildfires are getting more dangerous: After more than a year of record-breaking heat, the peak of fire season is approaching across vast swathes of our green planet. Lots of ecosystems have evolved to withstand regular fires and some are even nourished by it – there are, for example, plants that need flames to help …
Celebrity Send-Off: the show hoping to get us talking about funerals by getting celebrities to watch their own: In the show Celebrity Send-Off famous people ask a loved one to arrange a funeral for them. It might seem like an odd premise for a show but this three-part mini-series produced by Channel 4 but it …
Earth is getting hotter – so why is this summer so dismal?: Fossil fuels have kept Earth 1.5°C hotter than its pre-industrial average temperature for more than a year now. And yet, where I live in the UK, this summer has felt like one of the coolest I can remember. If the planet is in …
Nature conservation works, and we’re getting better at it – new study: To work in nature conservation is to battle a headwind of bad news. When the overwhelming picture indicates the natural world is in decline, is there any room for optimism? Well, our new global study has some good news: we provide the strongest …
The Spotlight Effect: Why Getting Listed in Niche Publications Matters for Businesses: In today’s crowded digital landscape, visibility is key for businesses of all sizes. While major publications and directories have their place, niche industry-focused publications can offer unique advantages and be essential for targeting specific audiences. Let’s explore why getting mentioned or listed in …
Getting climate funds to conflict zones – a case for working with armed groups and local communities: Conflict-ridden and fragile countries are among the most vulnerable to climate change and least prepared to deal with it. They are largely excluded from climate adaptation programmes and funding. This is partly because funding is channelled through national …
Emissions inequality is getting worse – here’s how to end the reign of the ultra-polluters: Scharfsinn/Shutterstock Climate change is overwhelmingly a problem of wealthy people. The wealthiest 1% of humanity produce over 1,000 times the emissions of the poorest 1%. In fact, these 77 million people are responsible for more climate-changing emissions than the poorest …
Low emissions and economic survival – countries in the global south aren’t getting a fair deal: In 2015, more than 140 countries signed up to the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. For countries in the global south this is a huge task. On the one hand they have committed to low emissions. On …
How to check your mouth for cancer – when getting to see a dentist is hard: Vitaliy Abbasov/Shutterstock Regular dental checkups and oral hygiene visits are important for identifying the early stage of mouth cancer. However, the shortage of dentists in the UK has led to a rise in mouth cancers that are spotted too …
Chickenpox vaccine recommended for NHS – here’s why a jab is better than getting the disease: If the vaccine is offered, children would be given two doses. sergei telegin/ Shutterstock The chickenpox vaccine is already offered as part of childhood immunisation programmes in several countries, including Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand. Now the …
Ethiopia: religious tension is getting worse – 5 factors driving groups apart: Religion is highly present in Ethiopia. It’s visible in churches and mosques, in clothing, and in public rituals. The country’s main religious communities are Orthodox Christians, Muslims and Protestants. It’s home to one of the world’s oldest churches and has the third-largest Muslim …
Guerilla gardening: how you can make your local area greener without getting into trouble: What are your rights if you want to become a guerrilla gardener? Goami/Shutterstock When Richard Reynolds first started gardening around London’s streets, he was so worried he might be arrested that he worked under the cover of darkness. Reynolds was one …
Mercury: shrinking planet is still getting smaller – new research: Perspective view of a lobate scarp on Mercury named Carnegie Rupes, colour-coded according to surface altitude. The crater near the middle is nearly 40 km across. NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington Planetary scientists have long known that Mercury has been shrinking …