by Tom Bosschaert
Director

April 29, 2016

Tom Bosschaert

Mixed messages this month. Exciting news and global stress make for a colorful news-soup for this wormfood. The UN stresses that we need to eat less meat if we're to counter the effects of global climate change. Russia is chiming in by wanting to become the world leader in organic food. At the same time, energy from wastewater is making headway, nitrogen emissions are causing worries, and disappearing urban green space is becoming a global concern. Read all about it in this wormfood.

Global News: Vegan diet to save the world

The United Nations (UN) encourages a global shift towards a vegan diet to save the world from hunger and to decrease the impact of climate change. Currently, one-third of all arable land on the planet is being used to grow feed for livestock. Combined with the animals themselves, this means that the production of meat is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy & Environment: Electricty generated by wastewater

Business & Economy: Effects on Oil prices

Science, Technology & Design: Our nitrogen footprint

Urban Environment: Greenery is disappearing in cities

  • Green spaces in cities are dissipating because of rapid urbanization. Satellite imagery shows urban land-use in many cities grew by more than 50% between 1985 and 2010. How to overcome the barriers of Urban green space?
  • Guess where the most polluted air is? Hint: it's not in China. While Beijing grabs the headlines for poor air quality, scientists say the pollution in Delhi, India, is far worse. Sarthak Jain story and find out how people deal with the air pollution.
  • The idea to add more green space in Rotterdam, especially its harbor area, has inspired the collective Mothership to design a floating forest.

Unexpected and Intriguing: Syrians sharing their life stories

  • Learn about Syrians lived before and after the conflicts started. The platform #IamSyrian shares their stories. Initiative by the United Nations World Food Program.
  • Education is the key to avoid suffering. A school in Sudan trains midwives to end FGM (Female Genital Mutilation). Over 135 million girls and women in the world went through FGM, a cultural practice that leaves them emotionally and physically scarred.

  • Remember Cecil, Africa's most famous lion? Activists condemn trophy hunting clubs for turning wildlife into commodities. Animal rights advocates and conservation experts are united against these massacres.

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April 29, 2016