Author: oikos Lisbon

Microplastics and the Human health The history of plastics began in 1862 when Alexander Parkes introduced the first-ever man-made plastic at the London International Exhibition. However, it wasn’t until the nineteen-fifties that plastic’s mass production started. Along the past seventy years, humankind produced over eight billion metric tons of plastic, out of which only 9% […]

How can sustainable projects be more profitable? Sustainability should always be a concern in our daily lives and now, more than ever, we need to act. As students in such an open-minded and prestigious school as Nova SBE is, we have the duty to impose this in our day-to-day lives by trying to make businesses […]

Global risks of biodiversity loss Biodiversity – What does this neologism of biological diversity mean?  It refers to the variety of living species on Earth, including plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi – as well as the genetic diversity within the same species, different species and ecosystems. When biodiversity exists in its wholeness, the capacity of […]

Small actions multiplied by millions make a change So, here we are, in the 21st century, facing uncountable problems that not many people seem to care about. It is a fact that we only have one earth and resources are scarce – everyone has already heard these comments here and there, but no one seems […]

Is it a threat? Breeders of plants and animals have long been using techniques to modify organisms. Artificial selection of specific traits has resulted in a variety of different organisms, ranging from yeast and bacteria to insects, plants, fish and mammals. Within the last decades, advances in the biotechnology field have allowed scientists to control and modify the […]

A consumers guide through ecolabels and certifications Ecolabels are voluntary labeling systems for food and consumer products, with the aim to guide consumers to make better and more informed choices. According to the Ecolabel Index, there are currently 455 ecolabels in 199 countries, and in 25 industry sectors.  The creation of eco-labels for Organic food […]

And what can be done to prevent the worsening of this issue As per data available, half of the global population already lives in cities, and by 2050, two-thirds of the world’s people are expected to live in urban areas. Due to uncontrolled urbanization, the degradation of the environment is occurring extremely quickly. Cities are responsible for […]

How education can help us make sustainable fashion choices and why it matters  Despite growing awareness of the dark side of fashion consumption, fast fashion continues to grow on the back of false claims that signal sustainability to customers. These so-called greenwashing incidents are highly detrimental to society, economy, and the environment. To avoid being […]

Seasonality in Portugal as a strategy to fight food loss and food waste Food waste is one of the major economic, social and environmental sustainability problems of our time, as between 33%-50% of all food produced globally is thrown out each year. The issue has attracted special attention in recent years, due to its substantial […]

And the importance of finding solutions Each year, 11 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean, with an estimation of at least 10% of all marine clutter, being fishing equipment. Therefore, between 500 000 and 1 million tonnes of fishing gear is discarded every year, into the sea. Plastic is polluting every corner of our […]