Ask any geology student if the subject they are studying provides essential knowledge, experience, and guidance on how to meet many of the world’s most acute societal challenges and virtually all would proclaim a loud ‘yes, absolutely’. After all, many are drawn to the Earth sciences by study of applied aspects of natural hazards, minerals and metals, oil and gas, and geotechnics. And yet, show them how the world views those critical challenges – in the form of the United Nation’sRead more
Posts tagged: #sustainability
Where the Environment meets Art
Sandra Masterson grew up in Brighton but currently lives and works France. Her interest in art and the environment goes back to her childhood; Sandra’s father was a gamekeeper and she first started work as a technician in a plant physiology and microbiology teaching laboratory in Brighton. She also spent a year working as a technician for the Milk Marketing Board at a cheese producing factory in Cannington Somerset before starting her career in the arts. Whilst working at theRead more
OPAL – explore nature, wherever you are, whoever you are
OPAL (OPen Air Laboratories) is a Lottery-funded citizen science project, led by Imperial College, London, which has been running since 2007. Plymouth University has been one of the OPAL partners from the very beginning. Activities were originally limited to England, but since 2014 we‘ve been working in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland too. OPAL exists to encourage people to get outside and start exploring their environment, while taking part in real scientific studies. Working locally, our participants help contribute toRead more
Rewilding: wild by nature?
Rewilding has been causing a storm in recent months: debates over the reintroduction of beavers, wolves and lynx; renewed challenges to food and farming systems; recent calls to shake up what has been termed a ‘feudal system’ of land-ownership in Britain. The concept and practice of rewilding seems to generate a stream of (often quite polarised) opinions and sentiments – some romantic, others quite militant. So why is this; why is the term ‘rewilding’ so provocative in a way that,Read more
Deal or no deal: the influence of political risk in global climate decision-making
As the clock winds down on current efforts to avert an impending Greek default, it seems timely to consider the role of deal making in decisions that have far-reaching consequences. The Greek situation has produced extraordinary volatility on stock and bond markets through May and June 2015. Whilst the macroeconomic outlook for many European stocks would seem positively bullish, cognitive attention has been drawn to a relatively minor contributor in terms of GDP and anticipation of future risks from theRead more