Average African woman has more than 5 children, African population growth accelerating over rest of 21st century, problem ‘non-existent’

Demography is statistics in its plainest form, and the below picture says it all. It is not the world population that is growing, it is the African and Asian populations that are growing – and dwarfing all the other continents.

Population growth Africa and Asia

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Even cell phones may contribute to CCD

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is a textbook example of modern environmental challenges – not because of the potential gravity of pollination declines or an intrinsic fascination we may have for our stingy honey-producing friends – but because it shows ecological stresses become actual disturbances when these start adding up.

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New infographic explains cloud geoengineering story

It first cost us thousands of words and various articles on cloud whitening geoengineering and presumed cloud climate feedbacks. But we feel these 8 Rembrandts might do a much better job at communicating some of the most confusing climate science:

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Eat more beans and live longer

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In our special series on the unfolding protein crisis, we take a good look at some interesting ‘new proteins’ – and some very old proteins that may witness a renaissance in face of ever-growing nutritional demands.

Eat beans, live longer

Today that’s beans – and we learn replacing that steak or hamburger may not just help slow down deforestation; it may also help preserve your own ecosystem. Even if ageing has already set in, new research indicates.

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Hemp protein is every bit as good as protein in beans

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Hemp protein is no longer an obscure supplement you can only buy over the internet. You’ll find it in high-street shops these days. While nutritional value of hemp protein is not as high as that of soya protein and whey, Canadian nutritionists at the University of Manitoba discovered, it is better than that of nuts and wheat protein.

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Sulphur switch in algae new route to marine cloud geoengineering?

Marine bacteria produce two types of sulphur compounds as they eat dead algae biomass. The one, methanethiol, or MeSH, is cycled downwater into the food chain. The other forms a liquid aerosol, dimethylsulfide, or DMS. The latter plays an important role in ‘natural marine cloud seeding,’ which makes climate-focused minds wonder: could we increase the DMS/MeSH ratio – and thereby cool the planet?

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