Author: Robin Eveleigh

In the rural areas of Palestine, olive trees have long been central not only to the economy but also to cultural identity. Recently, a wave of replanting efforts is providing local farmers with renewed optimism amid ongoing challenges. This movement is supported by tens of thousands of new olive saplings being planted across the West… Continue reading New olive groves plant hope across the West Bank

Consuming a plentiful amount of vegetables and fruits is widely acknowledged as beneficial to our well-being. However, a lesser-explored question is how the soil quality in which these foods are cultivated influences their nutritional content. Increasingly, a community of researchers and experts in agroecology is investigating this connection, uncovering links between soil health and the… Continue reading The link between healthy soil and a healthy body

Child marriage remains a significant issue in Bangladesh, despite ongoing efforts to combat it. However, a recent project aimed at empowering girls in rural areas has demonstrated promising outcomes in addressing this deeply rooted social problem. In Bangladesh, child marriage is illegal but continues to be widely practiced due to cultural acceptance and weak law… Continue reading Teen leaders take on child marriage in Bangladesh

Romania has recently made significant strides in recycling through the introduction of a groundbreaking deposit return scheme (DRS) for drink bottles and cans. This initiative, regarded as the largest centralised DRS globally, is managed through a unique public-private partnership under the company RetuRO. Only a year ago, Romania ranked at the very bottom of European… Continue reading ‘In Romania now, you don’t see a bottle anywhere’

A recent study conducted in Canada indicates that solar farms could significantly enhance global crop production by hundreds of billions of pounds. This increase is attributed to the beneficial microclimate that develops beneath solar panels, which appears to protect and nurture the crops growing underneath. Concerns regarding food security have long fueled opposition to extensive… Continue reading Could solar panels help strengthen global food security?

Kenyan smallholder farmers have experienced significant improvements in their agricultural output and soil health thanks to a grassroots regenerative agriculture program. Spearheaded by the charity Farm Africa, this initiative focuses on empowering farmers by reducing their dependency on chemicals and decreasing the risk of crop failure. Since its inception in 2017, Farm Africa’s Strengthening Regenerative… Continue reading Regenerative agriculture sows success in Kenya

Drawing inspiration from the ocean’s inhabitants, inventors have developed a novel filter to capture microplastics released during laundry cycles. This innovation addresses a significant environmental concern, where synthetic clothes shed millions of tiny fibres each time they are washed, contributing heavily to ocean pollution. Microplastics from household laundry are now recognized as a leading cause… Continue reading Fish biology inspires laundry microplastics clean up

The passage describes Yeo Valley Organic’s efforts to establish a baseline of biodiversity on their farm using a long-term survey devised by ecologist Patrick Hancock. Hancock chose four indicator species—dung beetles, skylarks, hazel dormice, and adders—to measure the health and progress of the farm’s ecosystem. These species were selected because they represent various aspects of… Continue reading How species spotting took hold of a rural community

Underwater telecommunications infrastructure is being repurposed as a novel conservation tool to protect vulnerable marine mammals. Researchers are now utilizing fibre optic cables laid on the ocean floor to gain valuable insights into the behavior and movement of some of the most endangered sea species. A team from the University of Washington has deployed 1.25… Continue reading Web of undersea cables poised to become marine observatory

Could attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) be less about a lack of attention and more about a heightened form of curiosity? This intriguing idea is the focus of a new study that aims to rethink how ADHD is perceived, with potential implications for education. ADHD is commonly linked with impulsivity and rapid-fire thoughts, but researcher… Continue reading Rethinking ADHD as ‘hypercuriosity’