Articles - TheVocalMinority

Environment

World’s cities offering refuge to trees

We usually think of urban areas as a cause of species extinctions. A new analysis of 12 million (!) tree planting records has turned these assumptions on its head. Turns out urban areas aren’t quite the concrete wastelands we thought it was. Quite the opposite.

thevocalminority
September 25, 2020

Humanitarian

Jobs, jobs, jobs – and housing

The government is urged to invest in social housing projects to get the economy back on the rails. During the GFC it kept tradies in jobs and offered many a secure roof over their heads. Now, new data shows that construction could start almost immediately on thousands of homes.

thevocalminority
September 25, 2020

Environment

Environment facing a perfect storm

Some very important reports about the environment have just been published. Missed it? We nearly did too. With COVID, the US elections and the tensions with China all taking out the number-one spot for newspaper headlines, some other big stories were easily overlooked. Here, we look at some of them.

thevocalminority
September 11, 2020

Humanitarian

New Zealand child wellbeing at all-time low

As regular visitors to New Zealand and with a deep and abiding love for our Pacific neighbours, a recent UNICEF report came as a shock. The report on child wellbeing had New Zealand a long way down the list (35 out of a total of 41) among the world’s wealthiest countries. What is happening?

thevocalminority
September 11, 2020

Humanitarian

Australian Mint releases “donation dollar”

The Royal Australian Mint is releasing a “donation dollar” coin designed to be given to charitable cause. It is the first Australian $1 coin to feature a colour other than gold and will be the first coin purposed for “giving” rather than “spending”.

thevocalminority
September 8, 2020

Animal

Koala numbers decimated after black summer bushfires

“Seventy-one percent is an average so in some places we lost nearly all the koalas, which of course is devastating.” In total, 123 sites across six locations from Forster to Ballina were examined as part of the study.

thevocalminority
September 8, 2020

Humanitarian

Deterioration of young people’s mental health

The number of young people seeking help from mental health services has soared since the beginning of the pandemic. Organisations are putting more staff on to keep up with the demand. Governments have announced extra funding for mental health and experts warn of long-term effects. What’s going on?

thevocalminority
September 4, 2020

Animal

Protecting wildlife starts at home

We know feral cats are an enormous problem for wildlife – across Australia, feral cats collectively kill more than three billion animals per year. But pet cats are wreaking havoc too. An analysis of 66 different studies shows the impact our pet cats have on Australia’s wildlife.

thevocalminority
September 4, 2020

Environment

Will we see a 180 on climate policy?

Industry leaders with close ties to the government are calling for an urgent climate response. Will threats to Australia’s prosperity mean we will finally see action on climate change? Signs indicate that might just be the case…

thevocalminority
August 28, 2020

Environment

Sheer beauty belies unfolding tragedy

Greenland lost more than a million tonnes of ice every minute in 2019. This photo diary shows the haunting contrast between Greenland’s astonishing beauty and the devastation at its surface – an alarming trend that could see sea levels rise by 6 metres if it were to melt away entirely.

thevocalminority
August 21, 2020

Humanitarian

Struggling in Australia without help

Would you really want to be an international student in Australia? Government officials and business analysts most certainly seem to think so as they enthusiastically encourage a new cohort to fly in. Ask a student however, and you’re more likely to hear a definitive NO.

thevocalminority
August 21, 2020

Environment

Keeping connected in challenging times

Even though we are living through one of the toughest times in our lives, we still have trouble admitting that we’re lonely – even to ourselves. Here, we are looking at our need for connection, how to recognise signs of loneliness and what you can do to manage it.

thevocalminority
August 14, 2020