Small towns are growing fast across Ghana – but environmental planning isn’t keeping up: Africa’s urban future will be shaped not only by large cities and capitals but also by its many small and medium-sized towns. Large capital cities are no longer the hotspots of rapid urban growth. According to the United Nations Human Settlements …
Why aren’t South Africans growing more indigenous crops? How farmers can be nudged to change their ways: Western diets make up most of South Africa’s food systems. This displaces indigenous crops and edible forest plants. The problems created by westernised diets include environmental damage caused by commercial farms. These diets also threaten African food systems. …
Wildlife, climate and plastic: how three summits aim to repair a growing rift with nature: By the end of 2024, nearly 200 nations will have met at three conferences to address three problems: biodiversity loss, climate change and plastic pollution. Colombia will host talks next week to assess global progress in protecting 30% of all …
The amazing flowers growing in pavement cracks and why you shouldn’t pass them by: Jose V Diaz/Shutterstock In spring and summer flowers pop up spontaneously in lawns, playgrounds, fields and even cracks in the pavement. But what do you see: weeds or wildflowers? You might feel a little frustrated when you see wildflowers growing in …
US sanctions on Iranian hackers highlight growing concern about the Islamic Republic’s cyberwarriors: DD Images/Shutterstock A feature of the simmering tensions between the US, Israel and Iran has been not just the tit-for-tat missile and drone strikes and assassinations, but accusations of cyberwarfare waged by Iran. On April 23, the US Treasury announced it was …
How long did Neanderthals and modern humans co-exist in Europe? Evidence is growing it may have been at least 10,000 years: A human bone fragment from the new excavations at Ranis in Germany. Tim Schüler TLDA. , CC BY-ND The idea that two different human species, Homo sapiens (us) and Neanderthals, co-existed in western Eurasia …
Tropical forest loss from growing rubber trade is more substantial than previously thought – new research: Hevea brasiliensis is grown in the world's most biodiverse areas. dangdumrong/Shutterstock Over 4 million hectares of tree cover – an area equivalent to the size of Switzerland – may have been cleared to make space for rubber plantations since …
Growing African vegetables on buildings can save space and feed cities – new study: The Eco Green Wall is an example of a sustainable living wall system. Karen Botes As cities grow, more people need food. However, space for farming is limited in cities. Building facades can offer a solution for growing food. We asked …
Netflix is still growing its subscriber base – here’s how a local approach is helping: Netflix had a tough year in 2022. Big rivals such as Disney and Amazon Prime were circling, and viewers seemed to be rethinking their streaming habits amid rising prices in a turbulent global economy. Netflix lost subscribers, and its share value …
South Africa’s 2022 census: has Johannesburg stopped growing, or are the numbers wrong?: South Africa’s census is a vital source of information for policy making, planning and research, and so the Census 2022 findings released last week were eagerly awaited. It offers many insights on everything from marriage rates to language distribution. But as urban …
The first dog-fox hybrid points to the growing risk to wild animals of domestic species: A pampas fox Foto 4440/Shutterstock Next time you see a fox when out walking with your dog, pause for a moment and ponder their relatedness. Dogs and foxes are distinct but distantly related canine species. Until recently, scientists thought it …
Ukraine war: mixed signals among Kyiv’s allies hint at growing conflict fatigue: It is now almost 600 days since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the war that has followed has tested the resilience of both countries. But it has also tested those in the west that have supported Ukraine from the start. …
Renewables are cheaper than ever yet fossil fuel use is still growing – here’s why: Wind and solar are the world’s fastest growing energy sources and together generated 12% of global electricity in 2023. The amount of energy produced by wind and solar is expected to increase and accelerate. Wind generated 1 terawatt (TW) for …
Addis Ababa faces growing climate change risks like heat, drought and floods, study warns: About 70% of people in Addis Ababa live in informal settlements that are vulnerable to climate change. Amanuel Sileshi/AFP/ Getty Images Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital city, will likely face increased heatwaves, droughts and severe flooding over the next 67 years. These …
Poverty in Britain is firmly linked to the country’s mountain of private wealth – Labour must address this growing inequality: Labour’s shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has said that a Labour government would not raises taxes on wealth, capital gains or higher incomes. She does not, she says, see “the way to prosperity as being through …
Birth trauma is a growing problem — experiencing it myself revealed how few people understand it: Birth trauma is often mistaken for other maternal mental health conditions – such as postpartum depression. KieferPix/ Shutterstock The past few years have seen more attention being paid to maternal mental health. Many people are now aware of conditions …
Ticks are becoming a growing health risk in the UK – here’s why: The castor bean tick is the most common species in the UK. Aleksey Matrenin/ Shutterstock Earlier this year, the UK Health Security Agency confirmed a case of tick-borne encephalitis – a potentially deadly virus carried by ticks that causes brain inflammation. A …
Amid growing tension between Russia, Iran and the US, Syria’s Kurds have been sidelined: In north-east Syria, the 12-year conflict is far from over. Russian fighter jets buzz US surveillance drones, threatening to bring them down. Iranian-backed militias occasionally fire rockets at US positions. The Assad regime maintains that it will “regain every inch” of …