Jasmine Rambless

So, I have some exciting news..

I'M GOING TO POLAND!

But, not for a holiday, oh no. I'm going to represent Scotland as a YRE (Young Reporter for the Environment) at COP24 in Katowice from the 2nd till the 7th December, 2018. Alongside me are two international YREs - Kristin from Canada and Maria from Portugal - and for the second week, there will be Lovely from Canada, Martina from Malta and Wesley from Singapore.

What is COP24?

COP (Conference of the Parties) involve global conferences, whereby the important and potential change regarding climate policy is discussed. Poland has held them twice before, in Poznan in 2008 and then in Warsaw in 2013.

There will be around 20,000 people from 190 international countries who are participating in the event, ranging from politicians to non-governmental organisations, scientific community and business sector.

So, what exactly is my role?

Well, the clue is in my title. I'll be acting as a young reporter. Every day, I'll be actively engaging in the summit, using my investigative journalistic skills to gather information and evidence to use towards my final, written article on climate change.

Before the conference, I've been asked to research further into my two chosen topics, of which I went for climate change and biodiversity, and food security. These are topics which both I feel strongly about (read more here), and I studied throughout Higher Biology at school.

Climate change is something which I have a strong passion for because I know of it's major threat it holds over the world. We must act, and fast. I really hope that COP24 enables me to raise my voice, educate my fellow peers and citizens, and seek change.

What is the definition of a zero-hour contract? Essentially, it is a contract negotiated between an employer and employee whereby the employer doesn't need to issue a minimum amount of working hours, and the employee doesn't need to take onboard any work which is available. The industries where they are most common include agriculture, hotels and catering, education and healthcare. Although only 3% of UK workers are categorised as working on a zero-hour contract, it is still widely used in many other countries.

There are employment rights for those on a zero-hour contract, much like those on a set contract. Of course, they are entitled to their employment rights, like anyone else. They are paid the National Minimum Wage (NMW), allowed paid annual leave, breaks within their shifts and protection from discrimination. The benefits for employees allows them to work around other life commitments, including education, or childcare. This improves their flexibility. Not only is beneficial to employees, but it can be helpful for employers of new businesses too, because like anything new, there can be undiscovered and unexpected issues arising.

However, there is of course it's downsides. Some employers might take advantage of their zero-hour contract employees. The flexibility should be there for both employers and employees, but some employers will be issuing the exact same shift - same days and same hours - over a long period of time, but won't change it to a permanent, part-time position. Legally, they are entitled to the employment rights, discussed above, but some employees might find themselves not being treated as fairly as they could be.

Personally, I believe it would be beneficial who require that extra flexibility, and the contract will only work if both sides, ie employee and employer, play along with the "rules" if you like. Not entitling an employee to their employment rights is illegal, but because of the additional requirements, these must also be in place.

Unless you have been living under a rock, then you will be well-aware that tomorrow, 19th May 2018, is the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. It seems that it's the only story the media are wanting to give coverage of at the moment. You'd think they were living in a bubble when there are plenty of horrific events occurring which aren't being reported upon, all because of the royal wedding. But, do I agree with the wedding itself? No, absolutely not.

First things first, I'm not a royal family fan. Call me unpatriotic, but I genuinely am not interested in any form. Some British people believe you cannot get any more British than the Royal Family, even our friends across the pond in America love them. However, no, they don't strike my attention in the slightest. Kate Middleton is pregnant with Prince William's baby? Cool. The Queen's Jubilee? Ok. Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding? Cheers for the bank holiday. And once again, I'm not into the whole phenomenon. In fact, I completely disagree with their actions.

Lets set the scene and start with statistics. According to the BBC, the couple have invited 600 guests, and an additional 200 guests for their evening reception. Their wedding is set to be held in Windsor; the streets are predicted to be crowded with 100,000 people outside, and 1,200 members of the public will be in the grounds of Windsor. Add the numbers up, and you'll see there's an enormous number of people expected to attend the service. That of course, will require food, decorations, seats and a whole load more. I don't know about you, but all I'm seeing is money signs right now. Oh, and don't forget, there will be mighty security there throughout too.

Who will pay for the wedding? You sitting right there. Yes, taxpayers money is funding for the two, essentially wedding them for nothing as they don't need to dig into their pockets. The Independent estimate that the costs will calculate to around £30 million worth of taxpayers money. THIRTY-MILLION. Think what this money could be used for, elsewhere. How about tackling homelessness on the streets? Housing ex-service men after they return from fighting for their own country? The security costs alones are estimated to cost around £24 million. Prince William's security was between £10-£20 million - Prince Harry and Meghan are upping their security due to the high threat levels within the past year and a half to two years, especially with regards to terrorism.

It seems to me that the pair are going wild with the budget - then again, they don't have a budget. They're spending money like there's no tomorrow, and as if it wouldn't be best spent elsewhere. For example, they're spending, wait for it, a predicted £50,000 on a cake. 50 grand for a bit of grub. Isn't that just a bit unnecessary? £90,000 for trumpets. TRUMPETS. No need.

Never would I expected myself to say this, but I'm actually glad I'm working a 9-6 shift, because it means I'm working and not need to worry about finding something other than wedding coverage on the TV - I know TV schedules will be chocoblock with live updates. Call me negative, but I just think it's so sad to think all this money is spent on a wedding when in the UK, over 300,000 people are homeless - the equivalent to one in every 200 people - and as of December 2017, 14 million people in the UK lived in poverty - the equivalent to one in every 5 people. Maybe we should help our own nation firstly.

The definition of veganism is whereby an individual tries to avoid any form of exploitation or cruelty towards animals in terms of food, clothing or any other form. They eat a plant-based diet as they don't eat any animal foods such as meat (as well as fish, shellfish and insects), dairy (ie milk, cheese and chocolate), eggs and honey. They don't use products such as leather, nor any which are tested on animals - these tend to be beauty products. According to the Vegan Society, as of May 2016, there were at least 542,000 people in the UK living a vegan lifestyle - a figure which has increased three and a half times since 2006.The vegan lifestyle is becoming rather popular in modern day society, but is it something we should try incorporate ourselves into our lives; whether it's a health switch or a lifestyle choice?

Walk down the busy, main streets of any city or populated town and chances are, you will walk past a campaign of some sort regarding veganism, and the campaigners are trying to grasp your attention in the hope they can persuade you to become vegan, or even at least, try out the lifestyle. There are numerous pros and cons to the decision.

Vegan diets are by far one of the healthiest options available. A plant-based diet includes foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, all of which are often higher in vitamins, minerals and fibres. Due to high intakes in these foods, they provide the body with high levels of vitamins B1 (found in foods such as nuts, oats, oranges and seeds), C (blackcurrant, red peppers, green peppers, kiwis and strawberries) and E (almonds, sweet potato, avocado, butternut squash and sunflower seeds), as well as iron, but they also have low levels of cholesterol and saturated fats. As you can see, the foods they have provide the required nutrition for your body, and as a result, have less of a chance facing diseases such as type 2 diabetes, strokes, specific cancers and cardiovascular disease. When written out, it all seems so beneficial and seems like an ideal lifestyle choice.

However, the counteracting problem here is the lack of protein. Foods which are rich in protein include meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, all of which are items that vegans don't eat. The average woman over the age of 19 requires 46 grams of protein on a daily basis, with men requiring 56 grams. But, for vegans, the only source of protein they receive are from beans and nuts, which means they need to eat more to achieve the recommended values because they don't have the vast selection of food. Further upon this problem is the possibility of iron deficiency, because meat (especially beef) and shellfish have high levels of iron in them, and vegans don't eat meat. Meat is one of the main sources and for vegans only to eat spinach, white beans and soybeans won't provide quite the same level of iron, which in turn, affects their health; iron deficiency is the cause of fatigue and can lead to brain function. Again, the recommended intake for women is 18 milligrams, increased to 27 milligrams whilst pregnant, and for men, they only need 8 milligrams a day. So, is a plant-based diet really beneficial for your health?

Each year, vegans save 198 animals, as stated by PETA. They also reported that the average person eats around 130 shellfish, 40 fish, 26 chickens, 1 turkey, 1/2 a pig and 1/10 of a cow on a yearly basis. For myself, who isn't a vegan, these statistics even shock me; they're incredibly high. Vegans are against breeding domesticated animals (these are animals which are kept by humans as a work animal, food source or pet), which includes horses, dogs, cats and more. Their views are that although we may love our pets who bring us joy and happiness, they belong in their own environment, ie their natural habitats. As vegans love and care for animals so much, they do not want to consume them, buy any products whereby they are made from their skin, or promote animal testing at all. They opt for cruelty-free and vegan products. This is extremely beneficial because it's saving the innocent animals from being kept in crammed spaces to be bred, instead, they have more freedom and are living their best life. They also aren't being exposed to abuse and are exercising their rights (yes, animals have rights and if you didn't know, you can read more here)

With all that said, and although I can see the advantages to veganism, I don't believe we should force it upon those who aren't. As I say, it's each to their own. Forcing veganism upon those who aren't isn't going to a) give a good impression of the vegan community and b) hardly going to persuade them. I don't object to campaigns trying to promote it, but I do think we need to be respectful towards other people's lifestyles - if one wishes to be vegan, then great, and vice versa for those who wish not to be vegan.

Did you know that out of 7.5 billion people living on the planet, only 1.5 billion actually speak English? This equates to only 20% (or 1/5) of the population. And of this 1.5 billion, English isn't their first language - only 360 million people speak English as their native language. This means that English isn't the most popular language in the world. In fact, Mandarin is the most popular language (an estimated 1.2 billion people are native speakers), with Spanish in second place (an estimated 400 million speakers) with English falling into third place. In the UK, our first spoken language is English, and as a nation, we aren't really all that diverse - statistics recorded from The Telegraph report that 3/4 of adults in the UK are unable to speak a foreign language. In this day and age, isn't this statistic rather shocking?

In countries across Europe, at school, pupils are taught their native language (much like we are taught English), but from a young age, are also taught English. Whereas, here in the UK, our approach is rather different. For a large majority of British pupils, they don't have any foreign language classes until at least their first year of secondary school. By then, they are at least 11 or 12, but is the interest there? The first foreign language taught at schools tend to be French (it's supposedly the easiest to grasp), but once pupils have the option to drop subjects and continue others for their exams, languages are one of the first to go. And, following on from this, an article from the Independent discovered that in June 2017, the number of UK applicants applying to student languages at University sat at 15,140, which was a decrease of 19,620 since 2012, a total drop of 22.8%. These statistics are worrying, because only 15% of the British population can speak French, and only one in twenty can understand basic German.

Perhaps I'm at an advantage. I studied French at school right up to Highers (equivalent to A-Levels) and try to teach myself Spanish using Duolingo because the two languages are classed as sister languages. This means that they are very similar in terms of vocabulary, and Italian and Romanian are also very similar to these two. As they are similar, it means that they are easier to pick up. During the Summer, I tend to go on holidays in Spain. I feel quite rude being in a foreign country and not being able to speak Spanish, yet us holiday makers expect the staff at hotels, restaurants, bars etc to speak English. This is just a British arrogance, and it portrays our lack of culture. This is one pf the reasons why I'm trying to learn Spanish, even if it's just the basics. Sure, most of us can say hola, por favor or gracias, but is this enough? When we go to the bar to order a drink or a restaurant to order a meal, the staff might misunderstand our English and this is when people can begin to get irritated because they feel as though they are being misunderstood. However, if we learnt the native language to the country we are in, we could try and speak their language. Sure, you're maybe not fluent, but what harm is it in trying? At the end of the day, if you make a mistake, you will learn from it. Chances are, you won't be mocked for a mistake, in fact, you'll be admired for your efforts.

People, not just children, but adults, aren't aware of the opportunities and benefits available for being able to speak a second language. Do you know the amount of job possibilities there are for being able to speak French, or Spanish etc? Massive companies such as Apple and Zara often recruit people who can speak other languages as they sometimes send their employees overseas to work and represent them. Maybe if we make the youth aware of the opportunities which are present when you speak a second language, we could encourage more people to pick up a language.

One reason why you should learn a second language is because it has health benefits believe it or not. As you are actively simulating your brain, it will be sharper in terms of thinking. Comparing two people, one who speaks only one language (monolingual) and someone who speaks two or more languages (bilingual), the mean age for the first signs of dementia for monolingual people  is 71.4 years old whereas for bilingual, it's slightly older at 75.5 years old. On top of this, your memory also becomes better. As you learn vocabulary and rules (such as verbs, gender for words etc), it exercises your brain more. You have the ability to memorise the same sentence or phrase in English and your chosen second language. Isn't that incredible? The brain is a miraculous muscle if exercised in the right ways. Leading on, as your memory is sharper, it means you are more likely to remember lists, names, directions etc.

So, why exactly am I pushing for language learning? Because I'm afraid that we are left behind. With numerous countries across Europe being at an advantage as they can speak a second, if not third language, Britain is being left behind. We aren't as advanced, and it'll affect us in years to come. Especially with Brexit, I feel it's possibly more crucial now than ever before. Of course, Brexit negotiations are priority at the moment, but the Government also need to take action in pursing language learning further. With cut backs, less schools are now teaching languages, and this puts children at a disadvantage. Teacher shortages also contribute towards this issue. I know that when I was at school, French was mandatory until third year of secondary, and Spanish was optional after your fifth year. These were the only two languages. German and Latin were once an option, but due to cut backs in the funding and lack of teachers, these languages were no longer taught.

Language learning doesn't require a qualification. There are language classes out there, as well as apps - I highly recommend Duolingo. You don't need to study your language for hours upon hours each day, every 15-20 minutes can prove to be highly effective. Isn't it beautiful when we communicate with each other in the same language, but isn't necessarily your first language, nor someone else? Whilst I was out in Portugal last month, I was speaking with someone from Latvia, who's native language isn't English yet mine is, and I quote from him: "It's wonderful how English can connect all of us. We're all from different countries and cultures, yet we can communicate with each other." It's a quote which is ever so true, and we need to remember ourselves. That is why I'm so keen to keep up with learning my Spanish, and keeping my French fresh in my head. Because if I ever go to a French or Spanish speaking country, I have the ability to speak their native language. And for me, that is simply wonderful.

If you do one thing today, make sure it's to learn your language. I would love for you to leave me a comment in your language, or a second language you know, below in the comments.