SouthseaScene

Researchers from the University of Portsmouth have been awarded £180,000 to help reduce plastic pollution in developing countries. An interdisciplinary team, led by Professor Steve Fletcher and Dr Cressida Bowyer have received funding from the UK Government’s Global Challenges Research Fund for a two-year project ‘Catalysing sustainability transitions in cities in the global south suffering from severe plastic pollution’. The project, which contributes to a number of United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, will use Nairobi (Kenya) and Sylhet (Bangladesh) as the case study cities. Using arts-based projects, the researchers will work with local communities, business and authorities to map current systems of waste management and identify opportunities for reducing plastic waste leaking into the environment. The research findings and methods will be shared in a knowledge exchange workshop (scheduled for April 2021) that includes representatives from up to 10 other Development...

Portsmouth Film Society has announced its 5th Green Film Festival programme which will take place on 22 to 24 May in the Eldon Building, University of Portsmouth. Part of a worldwide movement to highlight environmental issues through film, festival organisers have selected three films that touched different aspects of our world. The festival launches with the screening of Embrace, a film that tackles the global issue of body image and screened with the support of the Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industry which is concerned with the impact the related fashion industry has on the overall wellbeing issue. Is there something we can do to ensure the survival of important food plants? The film Seed follows passionate seed keepers who are keen to ensure the survival of our food varieties. Before the screening, people can also hear a short talk by Dr Rocio Perez-Barrales, senior lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Portsmouth. Tackling hard issues isn’t al...