A chart from the World Inequality Report shows per capita carbon footprints by income for various regions of the world. The top 10% of earners in North America have the highest carbon footprints, at 73 tonnes of CO2.

Your most important resolution: 7 tonnes CO2

If there were an Oscars for planetary threats, climate change would sweep all the major awards. Interestingly, of all our threats, climate change is one of the most avoidable through individual action. To boil this individual action down to one immediate resolution, it would be to achieve a personal carbon footprint of 7 tonnes CO2 per year, or less. Continue reading Your most important resolution: 7 tonnes CO2

A civet (the animal that transmitted the SARS virus to humans) looking out from a tree on the left. On the right is a pangolin (the animal originally thought to have transmitted the virus that causes COVID-19 to humans) being released from a cage into the wild.

Coronavirus may be our best chance to save the planet.

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably approaching burn out on Coronavirus articles by now. Well, prepare yourself for more, from COVID-19’s impact on the economy to fluffy social media posts about how we are changing the way we work and live (Look how my hair has changed after two months of isolation! ). But there are two essential things that we should really be … Continue reading Coronavirus may be our best chance to save the planet.

Are low-carb diets good for you? A photo of various varieties of potatoes in crates.

Are low-carb diets good for you? Sustainability and health benefits of carbs

Continuing on the theme of ethical consumerism and health, I’m going to take a look at the sustainability and health benefits of carbohydrates, and especially on the question of whether low-carb diets are good for you. But there’s a lot of material to cover, so I’m going to first look at scientific studies on low-carb diets and health.. Then, in the next couple of posts … Continue reading Are low-carb diets good for you? Sustainability and health benefits of carbs