Sustainable coffee consumption solutions for a greener future
Coffee has transcended its role as a mere morning ritual to become a global cultural touchstone. As our thirst for this beloved beverage grows, with annual consumption increases of 2-2.5%, experts project that demand could triple in the next quarter-century. However, this caffeine-fueled boom comes with a significant environmental price tag that demands our attention.
Coffee has never been so popular, but it has a dark side
Is coffee good or bad for you? Scientists can’t seem to agree. Some studies claim it raises the risk of heart disease, while others say it can reduce it. Coffee’s links to cancer are similarly debated. But while the health impacts are still up for debate, there’s no denying the coffee industry’s harmful environmental effects.
How will climate change affect our outdoor activities?
Understanding the impact of climate change can be challenging when framed in terms of global temperature changes. To make it more relatable, researchers at MIT have introduced a concept called “outdoor days.” This approach measures the number of days per year in a given location when the weather is suitable for typical outdoor activities - like walking, gardening, or dining outside - without being too hot or too cold. A localized perspective on global change In a previous study, the researchers applied the outdoor days concept to assess the impact of climate change across different countries. The analysis revealed that much of the...
Met Office works with Chinese farmers to protect tea harvest from climate change
Met Office scientists are helping tea experts and local farmers in China to develop adaptation measures as climate change poses risks to supply from the world’s biggest tea-producing country.The “Tea-CUP” project – CUP stands for Co-developing Useful Predictions – involves scientists from the UK and China gathering data from farmers in the southern Yunnan Province on different growing conditions to examine how different rainfall levels influence tea yield, price and quality.The researchers are also currently investigating the accuracy of seasonal forecasts in predicting rainfall, with the hope that this information could help the farmers plan for the coming months...