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Evidence that human evolution driven by major environmental pressures discovered

The genes of ancient humans might have changed substantially due to environmental pressures and change, say an international team of researchers. A widely held belief related to human evolution is that our ancient ancestors’ ability to fashion tools, shelter, and use advanced communication skills may have helped to shield them from large environmental impacts such as changing climate, disease and exposure to other events affecting mortality. But research led out of Australian Centre for Ancient DNA at the University of Adelaide suggests that beneficial genes may have played a more important role in preserving our ancestors. Until now, the sudden increase in frequency of these genes in human groups was masked by the exchange of DNA between people during reproduction. Now, analyses of more than one thousand ancient genomes dating as far back as 45,000 years ago have found historic signals showing genetic adaptation was more common than previously thought. The study of evolutionary events, says the study’s co-lead author Dr Yassine Souilmi, has increased substantially in recent years, as these are the points where human genetics take historic turns. “Evolutionary events [are] exactly what shape our genetic diversity today,” Souilmi tells Cosmos. “That’s what makes us vulnerable to certain diseases [and] resistant to others. “Having a good understanding of evolution, we can have a better understanding of who we are.” Previous research by the Centre has uncovered a range of evolutionary trends, from historic climate change causing the demise of ancestral lions and bears, to the first interactions between humans and coronaviruses 20,000 years ago. And the broader field of research into ancient DNA has shed light on important moments in human history. Only recently did analyses of ancient genes uncover locations on the human genome associated with surviving Yersinia pestis – the bacterium that causes the bubonic plague. <h2>Single events probably triggered selection</h2> This study, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, has similarly found environmental events might have been more influential on evolution among Eurasian groups. Such events might lead to a point of natural selection. Take, for instance, the emergence of a pathogen. If such a disease could kill people, those who managed to survive and continue reproducing would pass down favourable traits to subsequent generations. “Natural selection acts in two different mechanisms,” says Souilmi. “It only cares about whether you’re procreating successfully… when it acts, it’s either killing a lot of people, [preventing] some people from reproducing successfully, or some people are just not finding mates because they have some sort of ailment that’s not allowing them to mate successfully, or might make them undesirable. “What we’re finding is that the signal of natural selection we detected in this [research] was likely a single event, because the signal is clustered in time in a very early migration out of Africa. “Not all of the [events] we detected occurred at the same time, but the bulk of them did.” <h2>A mirror to the present</h2> This ‘agnostic’ study did not seek to identify the external pressures leading to the selection events indicated in these ancient genes, but future research by the team will seek to uncover that information. Studies like this, or those into specific pressures like the influence of the Black Death or coronaviruses on humans, show the impact of environmental change on our genetics. Souilmi says this is both insightful and cautionary, as environmental change in the present could be studied by humans in the future. He speculates that changes in the Earth’s climate, or the emergence of new pathogens, likely imposed selection pressures on ancient groups, whether through forcing shortages or changes to food supply or imposing physiological stressors. “Very likely, it’s the environment, the temperature, the weather patterns, that would have somewhat impacted the dietary regime of our ancestors out of Africa, and pathogens would have driven this [genetic] adaptation, which has shaped our genetic diversity now,” Souilmi says. “The direct lesson, socially, now, is that if we’re ever faced with events that are similar to that, we are not as immune to extreme episodes of adaptation where a lot of people might die, or be unable to reproduce. “Unless we do something to counteract the environmental changes, or viruses, bacterial or other pandemics, it could be a bad thing.” This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/human-evolution-driven-by-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Matthew Agius. Image: Shutterstock

Body

Coffin? Casket? Cremation? How to make your death more environmentally friendly

We can all agree humans need to reduce their impact on the environment. And while most of us think of this in terms of daily activities – such as eating less meat, or being water-wise – this responsibility actually extends beyond life and into death. The global population is closing on <a href="https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/global-population-will-soon-reach-8-billion-then-what" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eight billion</a>, and the amount of land available for human burial is <a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/deal-with-the-dead/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">running out</a>, especially in small and densely populated countries. To minimise environmental impact, human bodies should return to nature as quickly as possible. But the rate of decay in some of the most common traditional disposal methods is very slow. It can take <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-long-it-takes-human-body-decompose-grave-coffin-2019-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">several decades</a> for a body to decompose. In a one-of-its-kind study, our team analysed <a href="https://irispublishers.com/gjfsm/fulltext/a-taphonomic-examination-of-inhumed-and-entombed-remains-in-parma-cemeteries-italy.ID.000518.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">408 human bodies</a> exhumed from grave pits and stone tombs in the north of Italy to find out what conditions help speed up decay. <h2>The environmental cost of traditional burials</h2> Funeral rituals should respect the dead, bring closure to families and promote the reaching of the afterlife in accordance with people’s beliefs. This looks different for different people. Although the Catholic church has allowed cremation <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/26/world/europe/vatican-bans-scattering-of-human-ashes.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">since 1963</a>, it still prefers burials. Muslims are always supposed to be buried, while most Hindus are cremated. In Australia, however, the latest census revealed almost 40% of the population identifies as “<a href="https://theconversation.com/no-religion-is-australias-second-largest-religious-group-and-its-having-a-profound-effect-on-our-laws-185697" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not religious</a>”. This opens up more avenues for how people’s bodies may be handled after death. Most traditional burial practices in industrialised countries have several long-lasting harmful <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/108132/EUR_ICP_EHNA_01_04_01%28A%29.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">effects</a> on the environment. Wood and metal fragments in coffins and caskets remain in the ground, leaching harmful chemicals through paint, preservatives and alloys. Chemicals used for embalming also remain in the ground and can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3315260/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contaminate</a> soil and waterways. Cremation also has a large <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/is-cremation-environmentally-friendly-heres-the-science" target="_blank" rel="noopener">carbon footprint</a>. It requires lots of trees for fuel and produces millions of tons of carbon dioxide each year, as well as toxic volatile compounds. There are several alternatives to traditional burials. These include “water cremation” or “resomation” (where the body is rapidly dissolved), human <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-26/body-composting-a-green-alternative-to-burial-cremation/100486964" target="_blank" rel="noopener">composting</a>, mummification, cryonics (freezing and storage), <a href="https://eirene.ca/blog/space-burial-ashes-in-orbit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">space burials</a>, and even turning the body into <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/03/world/eco-solutions-capsula-mundi/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trees</a> or the ashes into <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/ashes-to-diamonds-reefs-rockets-how-we-will-memorialize-dead" target="_blank" rel="noopener">diamonds</a> or <a href="https://www.andvinyly.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">record vinyls</a>. However, many of these alternatives are either illegal, unavailable, costly or not aligned with people’s beliefs. The vast majority choose coffin burials, and all countries accept this method. So the question of sustainable burials comes down to choosing between the many types of <a href="https://australian.museum/about/history/exhibitions/death-the-last-taboo/burial-coffins-and-caskets/?gclid=CjwKCAjwx7GYBhB7EiwA0d8oe-mOKjLns2Gj5mpj-mu_kskmPPCKjhOqUrUAEjC05D4pnSXyBP3xrhoCE9oQAvD_BwE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coffins available</a>. <h2>What leads to faster decomposition?</h2> Coffins range from traditional wooden caskets, to cardboard coffins, to natural coffins made from willow, banana leaf or bamboo, which decompose faster. The most environmentally sustainable choice is one that allows the body to decompose and reduce to a skeleton (or “skeletonise”) quickly – possibly in just a few years. Our research has presented three key findings on conditions that promote the skeletonisation of human bodies. First, it has confirmed that bodies disposed in traditionally sealed tombs (where a coffin is placed inside a stone space) can take more than 40 years to skeletonise. In these sealed tombs, bacteria rapidly consume the oxygen in the stone space where the coffin is placed. This creates a micro-environment that promotes an almost indefinite preservation of the body. We also found burial grounds with a high percentage of sand and gravel in the soil promote the decomposition and skeletonisation of bodies in less than ten years – even if they are in a coffin. That’s because this soil composition allows more circulation of air and microfauna, and ample water drainage – all of which are helpful for degrading organic matter. Finally, our research confirmed previous suspicions about the slow decomposition of entombed bodies. We discovered placing bodies inside stone tombs, or covering them with a stone slab on the ground, helps with the formation of corpse wax (or “<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33596512/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adipocere</a>”). This substance is the final result of several chemical reactions through which the body’s adipose (fat) tissues turn to a “soapy” substance that’s very resistant to further degradation. Having corpse wax slows down (if not completely arrests) the decomposition process. <h2>A new, greener option</h2> In looking for innovative burial solutions, we had the opportunity to experiment with a new type of body disposal in a tomb called an “<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6756/2/3/37" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aerated tomb</a>”. Over the past 20 years aerated tombs have been developed in some European countries including France, Spain and Italy (where they <a href="https://www.tecnofar-solutions.com/prodotti/sistema-aerato-loculi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have</a> <a href="https://www.argema.net/loculi-aerati/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">been</a> <a href="https://www.ala-strutture-cimiteriali.com/loculi-aerati" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commercialised</a>). They allow plenty of ventilation, which in turn enables a more hygienic and faster decomposition of bodies compared to traditional tombs. They have a few notable features: <ul> <li> an activated carbon filter purifies gases </li> <li> fluids are absorbed by two distinct biodegrading biological powders, one placed at the bottom of the coffin and the other in a collecting tray beneath it </li> <li> once the body has decomposed, the skeletal remains can be moved to an ossuary (a site where skeletal remains are stored), while the tomb can be dismantled and most of its components potentially recycled. </li> </ul> Aerated tombs are also cheaper than ordinary tombs and can be built from existing tombs. They would be simple to use in Australia and would comply with public health and hygiene standards. Most of us don’t spend much time thinking about what will happen to our bodies after we die. Perhaps we should. In the end this may be one of our most important last decisions – the implications of which extend to our precious planet. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/coffin-casket-cremation-how-to-make-your-death-more-environmentally-friendly-188456" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Body

Feel alone in your eco-anxiety? Don’t – it’s remarkably common to feel dread about environmental decline

Feeling anxious about the ecological crises we face is entirely understandable, given the enormity of the threats. Eco-anxiety is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/b2e7ee32-ad28-4ec4-89aa-a8b8c98f95a5">sometimes described</a> as a mental health problem. It’s not. Eco-anxiety is a rational psychological and emotional response to the overlapping ecological crises we now face. If you feel this way, you are not alone. We have found eco-anxiety is remarkably common. Almost two-thirds of Australian participants in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378021001709">our recent surveys</a> reported feeling eco-anxiety at least “some of the time”. The response <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02862-3">can be triggered by media stories</a> on environmental and climate crises as well as human efforts to combat them. This includes the barrage of media from the United Nations climate conference, or COP26, now underway in Glasgow. In this age of ecological reckoning, eco-anxiety is not going to go away. That means we must learn how to cope with it – and perhaps even harness it to drive us to find solutions <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430117/original/file-20211104-17-1846nze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430117/original/file-20211104-17-1846nze.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Cleared area of rainforest" /></a> Awareness of environmental crises like deforestation can provoke anxiety. Shutterstock <h2>Dwelling on problems we contribute to</h2> Our study found four key features of eco-anxiety: <ol> <li>affective symptoms, such as feelings of anxiety and worry</li> <li>rumination, meaning persistent thoughts which can keep you up at night</li> <li>behavioural symptoms, such as difficulty sleeping, working, studying or socialising</li> <li>anxiety about your personal impact on the planet.</li> </ol> We found similar levels of eco-anxiety in our surveys of 334 Australians and 735 New Zealanders, with people affected in similar ways in both countries. This supports <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3918955">emerging research</a>, which found more than half of young people surveyed across ten countries experienced climate anxiety. Feeling anxious about the state of the planet is likely to be universal. When we asked Australians how it affected them, they told us eco-anxiety affected everything from their mood to their daily routine to their relationships. It even affected their ability to concentrate, work or study. For some, eco-anxiety made them feel restless, tense and agitated. New Zealanders reported similar impacts. Our study found people were also anxious about their personal contribution to the deteriorating state of the planet. Some participants noted the state of the planet made them “extremely anxious”, so much so they “find it hard to think about anything else”. Other research shows many people are anxious about how their personal behaviours impact the earth, such as <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520343306/a-field-guide-to-climate-anxiety">consumerism or flying</a>. Some young adults are choosing to have fewer children, or none at all, out of concern their children will contribute to the climate crisis or will <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/02/book-excerpt-the-uninhabitable-earth-david-wallace-wells.html">inherit a degraded world</a>. These fears appeared in our study too, with one parent participant noting: <blockquote> My biggest worry is that climate change will affect my child in their lifetime, and I get very upset that I won’t be able to protect him from the effects of it. </blockquote> <h2>Is eco-anxiety different to generalised anxiety?</h2> Eco-anxiety has similarities with generalised anxiety and stress, but we found important differences, such as the focus on environmental issues and our contribution to the problem. We also found people experience eco-anxiety independent of depression, anxiety and stress, suggesting it’s a unique experience. While it is possible to experience eco-anxiety as someone who is otherwise mentally well, many people experience it on top of <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12144-021-01385-4">existing mental health issues</a>. What we need to do now is understand what eco-anxiety means for individual (and planetary) well-being, and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02650533.2020.1844166">provide support</a> to people with varying degrees of this anxiety.<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429905/original/file-20211103-19-pt7tvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429905/original/file-20211103-19-pt7tvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="School students carrying posters calling for climate action" /></a> School students marching for climate action in the UK, 2019. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/london-uk-united-kingdom-15th-february-1315212515" class="source">Shutterstock</a> <h2>Four ways to cope with your eco-anxiety</h2> Eco-anxiety is not going to go away as an issue, given the range of environmental issues the world is confronting. To stop these feelings becoming overwhelming or debilitating, there are a range of <a href="https://psychology.org.au/getmedia/cf076d33-4470-415d-8acc-75f375adf2f3/coping_with_climate_change.pdf.pdf">behavioural, cognitive and emotional strategies</a> people can use to cope. Here are four techniques: <ol> <li> validation One part of managing your own anxiety is to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0887618520300773">validate it</a>, by acknowledging it makes sense to feel anxious and distressed </li> <li> time out Another technique is to take mental breaks and avoid your 24/7 news feed to give yourself time to restore a sense of balance </li> <li> seek hope Cultivating a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494412000138?casa_token=mIMzMUtEHZYAAAAA:VHVA59QmgjLMGuMr8n-gb4aCxYKO3OrC-ym8UViPw14R1OBZymnfoW4dmQYsw7FHvvWv2T_J4w">realistic sense of hope</a> about the future can also reduce anxiety emerging from our awareness of ecological threats. That means appreciating the complexity of the problem, while also searching for alternative visions of the future and trusting that we, as a collective, will eventually resolve the crisis before it’s too late </li> <li> take action Many of us struggle with a sense of overwhelming powerlessness in the face of a deteriorating climate. This can be self-reinforcing. To combat this, you can try action - whether changing your own behaviour or getting involved in campaigns. </li> </ol> As climate campaigner Greta Thunberg <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2019/jul/young-climate-activists-on-greta-thunberg-and-climate-crisis.html">has said</a>, “no one is too small to make a difference”. Climate change has been described as the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378018313608?casa_token=W-MRkMOq8DoAAAAA:o81eFiIQ6_82L9CGUP-WDIN9zEtq8cdgQSIUqqsqhH2QXaaHPF4X_bOSXJ4F7qNFmtY05REbfQ">greatest collective action problem</a> we have ever faced. That means the necessary changes will have to come from the collective action of all individuals, industries and governments. We all must act together now, just as we have in combating the COVID pandemic. Eco-anxiety is increasingly common. But being concerned about environmental crises does not need to come at the <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520343306/a-field-guide-to-climate-anxiety">cost of your health</a> and wellbeing. After all, psychological, emotional and behavioural burnout is not helpful for you – or the planet.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170789/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/teaghan-hogg-1284859">Teaghan Hogg</a>, PhD student, Clinical Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lean-obrien-1286734">Léan O'Brien</a>, Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/samantha-stanley-1205158">Samantha Stanley</a>, Research Fellow in Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/feel-alone-in-your-eco-anxiety-dont-its-remarkably-common-to-feel-dread-about-environmental-decline-170789">original article</a>.

International Travel

Prince George upset by Sir David Attenborough doco

Prince William has broken royal fan's hearts with the latest story about his seven-year-old son Prince George. Prince William revealed that Prince George got so sad while watching a documentary by Sir David Attenborough about the extinction of animals that they had to turn it off. The Duke of Cambridge said George said to him: “I don’t want to watch this anymore,” <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12875493/prince-george-sad-watching-extinction-documentary/" target="_blank" class="editor-rtflink">The Sun</a> reports. “The most recent one, the extinction one, George and I had to turn it off, he got so sad about it. “He said, ‘I don’t want to watch this anymore, why has it come to this?’ “He’s seven-years-old and he’s asking these questions. He feels it.” Prince William spoke to Sky News to mark the launch of his environmental Earthshot Prize and said that his children usually love watching Sir David Attenborough's A Life On Our Planet documentaries, but this one was too much. The dad-of-three said he had struggled with staying optimistic about the future of the environment, adding: “I think, to be perfectly honest, I’m struggling to keep the optimism levels going with my own children, and that’s really kind of like, an understanding moment. “Where you kind of look at yourself and go, ‘Am I doing enough on this, are we really at this stage in life when I can’t be hugely optimistic and pleased that my children are getting so into nature? “Because you kind of worry and dread they’re soon going to realise that we are in a very, very dangerous and difficult time in the environment and that as a parent, you feel you’re letting them down immediately.” The sweet story comes after a video of the Cambridge children asking Sir David Attenborough questions about the environment, with Prince George asking which creature would become extinct next. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CF4dvUDFPEK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CF4dvUDFPEK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">We've got some questions for you, @DavidAttenborough...🌍🕷️🐒</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/kensingtonroyal/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Duke and Duchess of Cambridge</a> (@kensingtonroyal) on Oct 3, 2020 at 5:59am PDT </div> </blockquote> Sir David Attenborough assured him that we could act to save endangered species from becoming extinct. The Earthshot Prize will hand over $1.81 million each year for a decade to five winners who build innovative projects that are designed to save the planet. This can include green businesses, cities or even planet-saving people movements. Speaking this morning, Prince William said we had 10 years to “fundamentally fix our planet”. “This is me putting my stamp on what I can do in my position to really galvanise and increase the interest and tackle some of these issues and drive a decade of change to help repair the planet,” Prince William told Sky News.

Family & Pets

Clever new environmentally friendly way to power cruise ships

Cruise ships in a port could soon be powered by "plugging" them into the national power grid. Ports of Auckland hoped it would reduce its emissions and the ship's carbon footprint as a result. The port has commissioned a feasibility study to look at alternative methods for powering cruise ships when they are berthed in port. Ships need to keep their generators running to supply power on-board. Ports of Auckland's study would consider powering ships from the national grid, known as shore power or "cold ironing", as the main alternative, but would also look at alternatives, which included LNG and low-sulphur fuels. Chief executive Tony Gibson said the study, due to be completed by April, would support its effort to become carbon neutral by 2025 and to have zero emissions by 2040. "Initially we will look at the feasibility of providing alternative power just for cruise ships, but we aim to extend that across the whole port longer term. "In carrying out the study, we will work closely with Vector to understand the capability of the local grid, and with cruise lines to understand their capabilities and future requirements." Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Australasia chairman Steve Odell said the cruise industry was committed to minimising its environmental footprint. "CLIA and its member cruise lines welcome the feasibility study and look forward to working closely with Ports of Auckland on it. "Our member lines are developing and deploying innovative technologies to reduce emissions and we will be sharing these initiatives with Ports of Auckland." Written by Hamish McNichol. First appeared on <a href="http://stuff.co.nz/">Stuff.co.nz.</a> Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/2017/01/retirees-lose-37000-after-cruise-company-goes-bust/"></a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/cruising/2017/01/get-paid-to-cruise-the-world/">This line is paying people to take a cruise</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/2017/01/retirees-lose-37000-after-cruise-company-goes-bust/"></a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/cruising/2017/01/clever-ways-to-skip-the-queue-on-a-cruise/">6 clever ways to skip the queue on a cruise</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/2017/01/retirees-lose-37000-after-cruise-company-goes-bust/"></a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/cruising/2017/01/new-report-details-true-cause-of-titanic-sinking/">New report details ‘true’ cause of Titanic sinking</a>

Cruising

Raise environmentally aware grandkids

Rather than looking at the negative factors about the environment and the state of climate change (which, by now we’re all well aware of), here we’re going to look at the number of proactive people – both activists and everyday people – who have brought environmental issues to the forefront through positive behaviour. As a result an empowered and ever burgeoning social movement has taken shape and “green” is in! What’s more, this movement is no longer comprised of a niche group of hippies, but rather it’s now a zeitgeist driven by increasing awareness and adopting more eco-friendly behaviours.According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2009, 98 per cent of Australian households recycled waste and 86 per cent reported they reused waste. Suffice to say, many families in our country are already lending a helping hand. In ensuring we continue to be as sustainable as possible, it's important for children to understand why we take all of these measures. So whether you’re a devoted waste-not-want-not person who keeps a compost bin the corner of your backyard or and avid recycler who shops with canvas bags, it’s easy to get the little ones in your life onto the path to greener living. Try these tips:Conserve energy: It really is as easy as flicking a switch or turning a button to off. Encourage your grandchildren to always turn lights off when leaving a room, to power down computers and turn the TV if nobody’s watching. Tell them why doing this is important. You could even turn it into a little game by ask them to go into “Turn off time” mode and finding everything in a room that needs to be turned off before leaving.Water wise: Explain to your grandkids the concept of when we use something too much or waste it; it will often lead to it running out. Just like hot water can. Teach your grandkids to always turn off the taps after using them.Recycle routine: Recycling, thanks to the bins we are provided by our local councils, is all too easy today. But do your grandkids know why they’re separating paper from plastic? Talk to your grandkids about where the garbage goes after the council takes it and how the process of recycling works. You could also reward them for their efforts, perhaps they get a $1 for every 10 things they recycle. Shop smart: Designate a day to take your grandchild shopping – you might even want to dub this “Green day” whereby you head out with your reusable bags and take advantage of the outdoors. Head to the local farmer’s market and get the little ones to help you pick out organic produce. Avoid processed and canned foods and tell them why you are doing this.<a href="/family/family/2014/08/become-a-sustainable-family-on-a-budget.aspx" target="_blank">Related link: Learn how to become a sustainable family on a budget. </a>

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Raise environmentally aware grandkids

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Evidence that human evolution driven by major environmental pressures discovered

Coffin? Casket? Cremation? How to make your death more environmentally friendly

Feel alone in your eco-anxiety? Don’t – it’s remarkably common to feel dread about environmental decline

Prince George upset by Sir David Attenborough doco

Clever new environmentally friendly way to power cruise ships

Raise environmentally aware grandkids

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