The fashion industry’s influence extends far beyond the realm of its social and economic impact. With fast-fashion producers and retailers such as Zara and H&M on the rise, the mass-consumption of widely produced garments calls into question the environmental sustainability of the apparel industry and reveals the darker side of retail. As population growth stretches our natural resources to capacity, the Global Fashion Agenda predicts that with the “current trajectories of production and consumption, pressures on natural resources and social conditions will intensify by 2030 to the point of threatening industry growth itself” (May 2017).

However, this hasn’t stopped a number of determined individuals and retailers from attempting to find alternative solutions […]

New research, that was presented at the National Astronomy Meeting at the University of Hull on 6 July 2017, suggests that our galaxy contains as many as 100 billion brown dwarfs.

Brown dwarfs are celestial objects that just didn’t have quite what it takes to become a fully-fledged star. Brown dwarfs are too hot and big to be considered planets, but at the same time, they are too small to be stars. Brown Dwarfs are a result of processes that normally lead to the formation of stars but because they lack the mass to sustain stable hydrogen fusion at their cores, the formation is never completed. Astronomy is a harsh industry […]

Researchers in China have uncovered the skeletal remains of an unusually tall group of individuals who lived in China’s province some 5,000 years ago during the excavation of a 5000-year-old archaeological site.

The archaeological dig at Jiaojia Villiage near Jinan City’s Zhangqiu District in Shandong. It is thought to have been a political, economic and cultural centre in its time with 104 houses, 205 graves and 20 sacrificial pits being unearthed. Among the homes, graves and sacrificial pits, various amounts of pottery and jade were found as well as several artefacts from the Longshan Culture, which was renowned for its eggshell black pottery, from the Neolithic period. The archaeological dig, which began last […]

Despite education, democracy, and advances in technology, poor communities around the world continue to experience significant challenges, especially in less-developed rural communities.

After decades of intervention by governments, NGOs and academic research projects, the successes and failures of rural development have resulted in a holistic system that aims to empower poor communities – the sustainable livelihoods approach.

What are sustainable livelihoods?

Poor rural communities are as diverse as their countries and cultures of origin, but they share a few common skills, goals and challenges.

With a focus on agriculture and crafts-based manufacturing, these communities have skills that were developed over centuries or longer – they simply need to […]

The development of green technology has reached levels that were unimaginable a decade or two ago – but what lies in store for the sector in 2017? Here are some of the most important emerging trends.

Power storage, smart homes, and solar energy

Three broad categories of innovative green products are making their presence felt in the market this year, with clean energy solutions and fully-integrated smart homes leading the charge.

New-generation energy storage

From hydrogen fuel cells to fast-charging batteries, start-ups are setting trends in 2017.

While well-known companies like Tesla continue their dominance, low production costs and innovative online marketing are making it easier than ever for startups to build prototypes […]