From COVID to today: what’s been happening to our workplaces?
In this new series “Sphera Hotline” we dive into the topics and questions that bother us, young Europeans. From climate change to social justice, we’re on a mission to avoid panic, examine the solutions and look into the future.
Sphera Hotline: What’s “dopamine detox” and do we need it?
Are you ever overcome by a sense of dread and guilt, when you snap out of your scrolling trance and realise 30 minutes have gone by? Phone and social media addiction can create the same sense of shame and anxiety as any other addiction. The online world offers solutions, of course. But do you really […]
In Paris, this women-run business showcases local flowers all year long
Mathilde, co-founder of a floral cooperative, talks about how she and her team are challenging the globalised flower industry by sourcing locally, working seasonally, and reconnecting floristry with land, growers, and community. From the difficulties of finding non-industrial flowers to the joy of collaborating with small producers across France, she shares why sustainability is not […]
Saving Green Giants in the Forests of Lousada
In Lousada, Portugal, not all trees are “just trees.” Everyone now knows that the ones too large to be completely hugged by a single person are “Gigantes Verdes”, and they cannot be cut down. These ancient trees, valuable to everyone —even if we often don’t notice it— are capable of capturing in one year the […]
In Milan, this initiative created a community around plants and flowers
In Italy, Clinica Botanica was created as a way to reconnect people with place, nature, and slower rhythms. One of its founders decided to create it in Milan: a huge metropolis, where between fast pace, tourists and capitalism, it’s becoming harder and harder to find peace, quiet and mindfulness. Through his personal journey, he invites […]
Sphera Hotline: How useful are online petitions?
We’ve all seen them, we’ve all shared them, we’ve all signed them. From protecting homeless animals to helping a local school get hold of a new building, there are enough online petitions out there to cover every possible injustice. But how effective are they, in reality? And how trustful should we be of our personal […]
Sphera Hotline: Should we be learning alternative careers?
Shall we be afraid of AI and of it taking our jobs? No need to panic just yet, while AI is able to do many tasks previously performed by humans, it also needs people to operate and manage it. With the help of our experts, Flore Barcellini and Moustafa Zouinar from the National Conservatory of […]
From 1973 to today: a historical Greek activist on Struggle, Memory, and the Future
Nora Chagiou, a veteran activists from Greece revisit decades of political struggle — from student uprisings and neighbourhood mobilisations to battles for workers’ rights, social justice, and democracy. Through personal memories marked by resistance, repression, and solidarity, she reflects on what today’s Europe has forgotten and what it must urgently remember. This is the third […]
“Climate change is not real”: what do I say to that?
At family dinners, on public transport or in hospital waiting rooms — we’ve all been there. Despite wide scientific consensus and tireless work of environmental journalists, there are still people who deny the existence of climate change and related disasters. Talking to them can be exhausting and frustrating. With the help of our guest expert, […]
Plastic pollution is out of control. What are we doing about it?
On average, we consume about 5g worth of microplastic a week. That’s the same as eating a credit card. We’ve all heard it: microplastic is everywhere, from ocean depths to human placenta. But what now? With the help of our guest expert, Enzo Favoino, Chair of the Scientific Committee of Zero Waste Europe, we talk […]
