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Profile: Dr Sheila Ochugboju reflects on her past and sees a bright future for Alliance for Science and a green, food-secure Africa
Like all great stories, it starts with lizards. Lizards and butterflies, scorpions and snakes and rivers. It starts with wide-open African skies waiting to be painted by restless imaginations. “I was left to roam and explore nature in my tiny village of Nigeria. I was told to be careful…
Africa making strides in promoting sustainable and resilient cities
Cities remain the most important contributors to the economies of many countries. In recent years, however, the knock-on impacts of pandemics like Covid-19 have left several urban economies at a low ebb. Did not completely collapse In many ways, urban areas across the globe were the epicenters of the pandemic,…
It starts with you: Residents urged to take responsibility and help in building sustainable cities
I have lived in Nairobi for the better part of 20 years. In that period, I have grown with Nairobi as it has expanded. “We have established the adaptation villages to work with people and train them to care for their environment.” By 1906, Nairobi had a population…
Dr Sheila Ochugboju explains inspiration behind Sustainable Development Goals superheroes
If Sustainable Development Goals were a person or a figure, how would they look? [Alliance For Science]Would SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) — for example, be a haggard, mournful figure, or would she be chubby and burly? [Alliance for Science]Would SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) be a…
Wetlands crucial for the achievement of sustainable development goals
Christopher Kang’ethe was born in 1955 around Manguo Swamp in Limuru, Central Kenya, just about 40 minutes drive from the capital, Nairobi. “Hippos used to live here some years back, but they all left,” says Kang’ethe. The hippos migrated because of increased human activity around the swamp following the expansion…
Scientists are developing greener plastics – the bigger challenge is moving them from lab to market
Synthetic plastics have made many aspect of modern life cheaper, safer and more convenient. However, we have failed to figure out how to get rid of them after we use them. Unlike other forms of trash, such as food and paper, most synthetic plastics cannot be easily degraded by live…
Saving Africa’s agroecological food baskets from the agroecology movement
As agroecology activism increases within the global food system, many African communities involved in agriculture and food production, as well as consumers, are getting confused. This confusion stems from antagonism between the continent’s need for a green revolution — defined as access to improved seeds and modern pest management technologies, including…
How to improve our relationship with nature after coronavirus
In the middle of the coronavirus crisis, many of us have turned to nature to reduce stress levels, improve mental health and stay physically active. Yet, human interaction with nature and ecosystems contributed to the existence of the current pandemic in the first place. So what can we take away…
Americans are confused about food and unsure where to turn for answers, study shows
By Sheril Kirshenbaum, Michigan State University and Douglas Buhler, Michigan State University More than one-third of Americans do not know that foods with no genetically modified ingredients contain genes, according to the new nationally representative Food Literacy and Engagement Poll we recently conducted at Michigan…