Oxford's biggest student newspaper, produced by and for members of the University of Oxford, since 1991.
By now, anyone on social media has most likely seen a slurry of posts denouncing ‘fast fashion’ for its detrimental effects on the environment. ‘Fast fashion’ is cheap, mass-produced clothing that typically imitates the high-fashion trends of the season. Online stores like ASOS and SHEIN, as well as physical stores such as Primark, Zara, and […]
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Image Description: Ecosia logo on background of trees, cows, and farm workers. Just underneath is the motto: “Turn your internet searches into trees!” on white background. Underneath this: “Join the campaign | Oxford on Ecosia” on a turquoise background. Oxford on Ecosia is a growing group of students campaigning to make Ecosia the default search […]
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Image description: A pile of used clothing The start of the summer saw many of us crowded around family living rooms or tucked under the covers with a laptop every evening at 9pm. Only one force seems capable of forcing the British public into such a strict schedule: Love Island. With over 100,000 applications to […]
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Image description: An offshore wind farm The announcement of the government’s uncharacteristic success in raising £10 billion to fund green projects in the UK in the form of “green gilts” is one that is welcomed. Many schemes that benefit the environment on both a small and large scale simply require the necessary funding: a gap […]
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Image Description: boats on a canal in Denmark with colourful houses on either side Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, is often described as a city with a small-town vibe. In recent years, this atmosphere and the high quality of life has attracted more and more people into the city, driving the need for more living […]
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The Conference of Colleges, a forum for the colleges and permanent private halls (PPHs) at Oxford to deal with matters of shared interest and common purpose, have published a report on 21st May detailing a range of sustainability practices in place across the collegiate University. The report showcases the numerous actions that the colleges and […]
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Image Description: three bitcoins against a black background. PROPOSITION (Anjali Kawa) For many, the rise of cryptocurrency marks a method of returning financial power and security back to the people. The ability to take advantage of markets – which usually take advantage of us – has convinced at least 2 million British people, including some […]
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Image description: a brown grasshopper. Large-scale insect breeding for human consumption is thought to represent a sustainable solution for growing food demand. With climate change, loss of biodiversity, and rising pressure on resources posing a threat to current food supply chains, new systems are needed to ‘future-proof’ meals and address food inequity. In order to […]
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Image Description: Banners that read ‘climate justice for all’ and ‘Stop HS2’ “It’s not politics, it’s science!”. For years now, this has become something of a mantra for a whole swathe of different movements. Coronavirus is the latest example, but long before that, it was embedded in the discourse around climate change. There, as with […]
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Image description: Alexis McGivern smiling, wearing a green scarf and a black shirt In our final week of Michaelmas Term, our ‘Student Spotlight’ series features Alexis McGivern, an aspiring conservationist and 1 + 1 MBA student at the University of Oxford. Her passion for climate change has taken her to the International Union for Conservation […]
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Image Description: Graphic of the virus with “COVID-19” text overlay An Oxford University expert believes coronavirus may have come into existence before its outbreak in China. A senior associate tutor at the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) at Oxford, Dr Tom Jefferson, stated that the virus was found to have existed elsewhere long before surfacing […]
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Image Description: A canal in Venice, Italy If I had a pound for every recent reference to Defoe, Camus and their novels about plague…. Granted, A Journal of the Plague Year and La Peste respectively, are certainly too close to home at the moment. Resorting to history – in this case, its reflection in literature […]
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A university-wide Environmental Sustainability Strategy has been put to a consultation. The consultation is in the form of a survey, available to all members of staff, academics and students, that closes soon on the 14th of April. The strategy, outlined within the survey, contains a number of proposals intended to aid the university in reducing […]
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Good news, air pollution is down due to coronavirus lockdown measures! Climate change avoided for now, surely? In the short-term, we will see a big drop in global emissions but, as we’ve already seen in China, once the outbreak is over and industrial production and transportation ramp back up, so do the emissions. Instead of […]
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Image description: Mother and child smiling at each other With Veganuary only barely over and Donald Trump’s attack on Greta ‘prophet-of-doom’ Thunberg in Davos still ringing in our ears, it is impossible to forget our duty to treat the environment with respect. This is all the truer for those who have passed St. John’s […]
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Amongst the more attention-grabbing recent headlines: the Coronavirus, Trump impeachment and Brexit, you may have overlooked the more pedestrian announcement (pun intended) by Oxford City Council of its plans for a zero emission zone or ‘ZEZ’ for short. Entry to this zone, which includes Ship Street, St Michael’s Street, New Inn Hall Street, Queen Street […]
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Image Description: Pollution being emitted from factory chimneys Last year, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that we only have 10 years to avoid irreversible damage from climate change. Last week, world leaders failed to answer UN secretary-general Guterres’ request for renewable industry plans. This inaction is the reason why six million […]
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There is nothing that twenty-somethings love more than a good trend. The latest and greatest topic making its way through the media is climate change, and it’s about time that eco-consciousness left the realm of hipsterdom and into the mainstream. Caring about the planet is for humans, not just hippies. It doesn’t matter what I […]
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Kerry McCarthy is the Labour MP for Bristol East and has had her seat since 2005. She has been vegan for over 25 years and campaigns tirelessly for ethical improvement and better ecological sustainability as well as national health issues. She kindly invited me to Portcullis House in Westminster where she shared her own reasons […]
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