RV Climate Cafe (RVCC) interest group hosted two dialogues in the 1st half of semester 2. On 26 January, RVCC invited Gavriel Tan from Altimate Nutrition to talk about his food sustainability start-up that uses crickets to make protein bars. Students learned about the urgency to improve food security worldwide alongside the need to destigmatise the consumption of alternate, sustainable food sources like insects. Beyond moving towards a vegetarian diet, eating insects is a viable solution towards the need to feed the exponentially growing population.

In the following week, on 1 February, RVCC engaged with Dr Ali Kassem from NUS Department of Sociology and Anthropology to discuss climate change from a different angle: Decolonial Theory and the Myth of Modernity. Students had an invigorating conversation led by Dr Ali and learnt more about the historical roots of the climate crisis, as well as how to rethink the familiar frameworks of ‘Progress’ and ‘Modernity’.

All in all, these two vastly different perspectives helped students to develop a more balanced understanding of the climate crisis, from its colonial roots up to modern day solutions.