Hello! My name is Helen Breewood.
If you’d like to hire me as a freelance writer, swap ideas or just say hello, send a message through the contact form below.
The world isn’t working as well as it could. Why are some countries and people so much poorer than others? Why do we burn fossil fuels when we know that they change the climate? Why does anyone starve when there’s more than enough food for everyone?
Wanting to know more, I studied chemical engineering, helped to create the world’s first lab-grown burger, and researched the environmental impacts of food supply chains. I now work as a research and communications officer for TABLE at the University of Oxford (please note that this is a personal blog that does not reflect the opinions of my employer).
I found that many problems are related. It’s not enough to look at social, environmental, economic, political and technological issues separately because they all affect each other, often in unexpected ways. It can be difficult to pinpoint root causes. Proposed solutions often have unintended consequences.
Furthermore, many problems are systemic, caused by the overarching organisation of society. Simply changing your own lifestyle, although often important, is not always enough.
I also found that lots of people are creating exciting ways to build a fairer world.
Now, I have two goals.
First, I want to make it easier to understand why things are going wrong. I’ll do this by exploring how different global issues connect and summarising key concepts that can help to make sense of the world.
Second, and perhaps more important, I want to discover what the most effective solutions might be and spread the word about the work that’s making the world a better place for everyone.