A HUMAN LIFE ENTWINED
In our first theme of this issue, Ugandan photographer DeLovie Kwagala takes us on a journey to the Quingdom, a gender-fluid imaginary world where people are free to be as they would like; Fijian climate justice advocate Kavita Naidu examines how vested interests need to be understood in order to resist and change the system; Noor, a young Syrian refugee, tells writer Daniel Briggs about the part that climate breakdown has played in his migration; and Ukrainian photographer Igor Tereshkov highlights the impact of the oil industry on the countryside and inhabitants of northwestern Siberia.
OUR BASIC NEEDS
Our second theme looks at two staples of our life on earth: food and water. One in 11 people worldwide go to bed hungry every night and one in 10 people lack access to clean water. These shocking statistics underpin My Life by Water, our photography essay looking at how people are struggling with lack of access to water, and Rebooting Our Food Systems, our in-depth look at the aspirations of chefs, farmers, academics and activists for the Food Systems Summit, which takes place later this year.
BE THE CHANGE
In our final theme, we talk to Irish chef Conor Spacey about his approach to sustainability and social responsibility; US architecture writer Avery Robertson questions the way in which futuristic aspirations for greening cities often focus on prestige projects rather than considering the wider ecosystem, and fail to take practical considerations into account; and Elder Dr Dave Courchene, of the Anishinabe First Nation, shares the ancient knowledge that can offer the world a foundation for the future.
DIALOGUES
Artists Alastair and Fleur Mackie examine the history of the corn spirit; artist and writer Christina Peake uses words and illustration to reveal how fluorescence links nature and culture across the globe; Anna Souter looks at how plants have embodied the uncanny in art, literature and film; Lori Hillman reveals the power of fire in the last of her series of essays about five element Taoist medicine; and poet Lemn Sissay reflects on the importance of water in his poem Hope Spring Eternal.
