Ecowas rules to protect pastoralists discourage investments in modern livestock farming: A common sight around west Africa is to see cattle grazing freely, even in major cities, on highways and in airports. Every year, about 300 million head of livestock (mostly cattle) move across west Africa. Based on seasonal factors, they leave their usual grazing …
Why beaver-like dams can protect communities from flooding – new research: A beaver-like dam at Wilde Brook on the Corve catchment in Shropshire. Daniel Jones, Author provided Low cost, human-made river barriers, similar to those built by beavers, can protect communities at risk of flooding. Our new research has found that such natural barriers intentionally …
Common diabetes drug metformin could protect against long COVID: Metformin is a drug commonly taken by patients with type 2 diabetes. pikselstock/Shutterstock There are no drugs to treat long COVID – a condition that affects around 2 million people in the UK alone – so you can imagine the excitement when a cheap diabetes drug …
If you’re sending intimate photos, taking a selfie is legally safer – here’s how to protect yourself: G-Stock Studio/Shutterstock If you’ve considered sending a sexy photo, you’re not alone: research shows that up to 15% of adolescents and 48% of adults have sent sexually explicit texts or images. There’s no shame in sending intimate photos …
Intermittent fasting could help protect the brain from age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s: Diego Cervo/Shutterstock As the world population has grown older, Alzheimer’s disease has become increasingly common. Alzheimer’s disease is the most prevalent form of dementia. Dementia is a term used to describe a range of symptoms linked to the decline in brain function with …
Nigerian health workers and absenteeism: study shows how personal and political relationships protect offenders: Goallord-Creativity/Shutterstock Absenteeism of health workers contributes to poor quality of care. A study in Uganda, for example, showed that it reduced the likelihood of people using primary health centres by 30%. Absenteeism also increases the workload for available staff. This adds …
Four dangers lurking in your garden – and how to protect yourself: The soil you use for your roses may contain something sinister. Mariia Boiko/ Shutterstock Many people see gardening as a relaxing pastime – an easygoing way to spend hours outdoors when the weather’s nice. But as a consultant in emergency medicine, I deal …
Butterfly behaviour shows ways to protect natural habitats in a rapidly changing world: The Sooty blue butterfly (_Zizeeria knysna_), a common yet easily missed resident species in grassland habitats. Charl Deacon Natural landscapes are continually transformed to make room for agricultural and urban developments – often at the expense of important habitats and species. That’s …
Let’s protect nature, but not merely for the sake of humans: kasakphoto / shutterstock Environmentalists rightly urge us to consider the long-term effects of our actions. Plastic bags, they point out, can take hundreds of years to decompose, while radioactive waste can remain dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years. It could take the Earth’s …
Tick-borne encephalitis virus in the UK – what it is and how to protect yourself: PHOTO FUN/Shutterstock A confirmed case of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) was recently reported in England. TBE is a disease that can lead to inflammation in the brain and is caused by a virus transmitted by the bite of a tick. These …
Want to help protect rare birds in nesting season? Keep your dog on its lead: SGM/Shutterstock There are few sights more joyful than a dog bounding through the countryside. But for ground-nesting birds and other wildlife, the experience is quite different. Letting a dog off its lead can disturb several species without the owner even …
Kenya drought: Pastoralists suffer despite millions of dollars used to protect them — what went wrong?: A young herder grazes cattle on dwindling pasture in the drylands of Kenya. Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Images Across the arid landscape of northern Kenya, roadside signs proclaim projects aimed at creating “resilience” among pastoralist communities. This is a …
Four ways to protect your small business from a banking crisis: Jono Erasmus/Shutterstock The banking sector is currently experiencing great strain, which has resulted in several bank bailouts – most recently UBS’ deal to buy its Swiss competitor Credit Suisse following a collapse in confidence in the latter. HSBC’s acquisition of the UK arm of …
Protect yourself from strain and pain with an ergonomic monitor: If you sit behind a desk for hours at a time, chances are you’re experiencing some aches and pains. Using equipment, like chairs or screens, that isn’t ergonomically designed can cause bad posture. Slumping back into your chair or sitting forward means your spine is …
International law doesn’t protect people fleeing environmental disaster – here’s how it could: Martinbertrand.fr/Shutterstock Researchers have tried for decades to find a relevant legal status for people forced to flee their homes as a result of floods, droughts and storms – calamities which climate change promises to make more severe and commonplace – as well …
Economic growth doesn’t have to mean ‘more’ – consuming ‘better’ will also protect the planet: Nattapol_Sritongcom/Shutterstock Around 30 years ago, many developed countries started a process of absolute decoupling of their emissions of CO? and energy use from economic growth. This means keeping emissions stable, or better yet, shrinking them, while still growing the economy. …
Migrant children in the UK are going missing from care – here’s how to protect them: Amir Bajric/Shutterstock Separated children who arrive alone in the UK are being placed in hotels by the Home Office – and many of them are then going missing. On January 24 2023, the immigration minister announced that 200 unaccompanied …
Tropical seagrass meadows are sand factories that could protect coral reef islands from sea-level rise: Ethan Daniels/Shutterstock Seagrasses are flowering plants that form dense underwater meadows in coastal waters worldwide, from the frigid seas of the Arctic to the warm shallows of the Caribbean. These meadows provide a refuge for young fish, food for grazing …