Tag: World Earth Day

TODAY: Tickets for major summer exhibition Monkeys: Our Primate Family go on sale on Earth Day

Tickets for the biggest exhibition of primate behaviour ever staged go on sale today, Earth Day, Tue 22 April

  • Tickets for Monkeys: Our Primate Family available to book at nms.ac.uk/Monkeys 

To mark the occasion, Louie the orangutan swung by the Grand Gallery at the National Museum of Scotland to meet Scottish primary school pupils Azalea Moghrabi aged eight and Marley Beamish aged seven.

Thanks to the support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery, children can visit Monkeys: Our Primate Family (28 Jun – 30 Nov 2025) for free. 

For the first time, the National Museum of Scotland is also offering those on Universal Credit and other named UK benefits discounted exhibition entry. 

From huge gorillas to tiny mouse lemurs, Monkeys will explore the remarkable lives of primates, our closest relatives. The exhibition will bring together more than 50 species and will raise awareness of continuing conservation efforts to protect these extraordinary animals and their fragile habitats. 

Monkeys: Our Primate Family is the first exhibition of its kind, capturing primates acting as they would in the wild. Taxidermy specimens created for the exhibition reveal behaviours rarely seen by humans and demonstrate how primate species have adapted to survive in diverse environments. 

The exhibition first opened at the National Museum of Scotland in 2016 before embarking on an international tour. It returns to Edinburgh for a final time having been seen by over 500,000 visitors in six countries around the world. 

Dr Andrew Kitchener, Principal Curator of Vertebrate Biology at National Museums Scotland, said: ““We are all primates, but how much do we really know about our extended family? 

“Following a successful global tour, I am delighted that more Scottish audiences than ever will be able to experience this remarkable exhibition, with discounts available for those receiving Universal Credit and other named UK benefits.

“Kids will also go free thanks to the support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Monkeys: Our Primate Family provides a unique opportunity to see these fascinating animals up close and learn what we can do to protect them in the wild.” 

Visitors to Monkeys will discover how primates have evolved and adapted, their unique methods of locomotion, and the tools they have developed to obtain food.

A gibbon swings through the trees while a chimpanzee fishes for termites.

The exhibition will also reveal the fascinating ways they communicate and their complex social systems. A tarsier shouts its ultrasonic calls and a vervet monkey reveals how its different calls warn about each different predator. 

The final section of the exhibition looks at conservation as well as some of the threats humans pose to primates today, including the climate emergency, conflict, and the bush meat trade.

Visitors will see endangered primates, including the Sumatran orangutan and the black-and-white ruffed lemur and learn about how we can make a difference to their survival. 

All the primates on display are part of National Museums Scotland’s internationally significant natural sciences collection which comprises more than 10 million specimens and is in constant use for study.

Recent pioneering research has included the first comprehensive osteobiography of a zoo animal, Choppers, star of the PG Tips adverts of the 1970s, published in Scientific Reports in March 2025. 

Monkeys: Our Primate Family 

National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh  
28 June–30 November 2025 

Tickets are available to book at nms.ac.uk/Monkeys 

The exhibition will be supported by a programme of public events. 

NHS Lothian invests over half a million pounds into electric fleet

NHS Lothian has invested over half a million pounds into its electric fleet as part of its ongoing efforts to be a leader in sustainable healthcare.

Over £525,000 has recently been spent on 58 electric vehicles and 46 charging stations at sites across NHS Lothian.

Iain Sneddon, Transport Manager for NHS Lothian, said: “Climate change poses the biggest threat to global health and its vital that we adapt to this as an organisation, not just as individuals.

“Electric vehicles are the preference when we’re looking to grow our fleet or replace vehicles. Not only are they a cleaner alternative, but they have the added benefit of being more cost-effective.”

With the additional 58 electric vehicles, this brings the total number of electric vehicles in NHS Lothian to 187, which is just over a quarter of NHS Lothian’s fleet.

NHS Lothian received its first three electric vehicles in 2012. In 2019, Transport Scotland provided funding which resulted in an additional 39 electric vehicles being added to the fleet.

Since 2019, the electric fleet has travelled over 1.5 million miles and has been used by teams such as podiatry, physiotherapy and forensic. 

The average car emits 0.78 pounds of CO2 per mile driven, which means NHS Lothian has prevented around 500 tonnes of CO2 being released into local communities.

Dr Jane Hopton, Sustainability Lead for NHS Lothian, said: “Making our fleet greener is part of our wider strategy to ensure NHS Lothian is a leader in sustainable healthcare.

“We’ve also been working to reduce the impact medical gasses have on the environment, as well growing our green spaces and improving our energy infrastructure.

“Iain and his team have done a fantastic job over the last few years with the fleet and have clearly had a huge impact already on reducing NHS Lothian’s carbon footprint.”

New research shows Brits are switching to sustainable period products this World Earth Day

Many traditional plastic-based hygiene products take over 500 years to decompose. On average, a person uses 12,000 disposable sanitary products in their lifetime, and 20 billion menstrual products end up in landfills each year – but people are starting to make a change.

People around the world are changing their menstrual hygiene habits and switching to healthier and eco-friendly reusable products such as menstrual cups.

So, for this year’s World Earth Day (22nd April), intimate health brand INTIMINA has conducted a survey to find out how aware people are of their ecological contribution when it comes to menstrual products, and even though 67% of those surveyed are unaware of the average number of disposable menstrual products people use in their lifetime, the results reveal that more and more people are jumping on the bandwagon of sustainability when it comes to managing their periods. 

The research found that 72% of respondents said they consider their lifestyle sustainable, meaning that they try to make choices that aim to reduce their individual and collective environmental impact. When purchasing and using menstrual products such as pads and tampons, nearly three out of five (59%) respondents consider the effects on the environment and the amount of menstrual waste these products represent.

What’s more, 67% of those surveyed were unaware of the average number of disposable menstrual products people use in their lifetime. Still, 42% have tried eco-friendly menstrual products – with 63% switching to using a menstrual cup or a different reusable menstrual product.  

There are many reasons why menstrual cups are good for the environment and health and the survey shows that people are well aware of these benefits.

When asked to name reasons why they would be inclined to switch to a menstrual cup, people said:

  • 38% opted for them because they are reusable, giving people a chance to reduce their menstrual waste.
  • Nearly half (48%) said because it saves money as a menstrual cup can last up to ten years, which means enormous savings when compared to buying pads and tampons 
  • Two out of five people (39%) would choose a cup because it is hassle-free and can be worn for up to eight hours without emptying it, which provides a sense of comfort during menstruation. 
  • 38% believe menstrual cups are a healthy choice because they are made of medical-grade silicone, while most pads and tampons contain chemicals and plastic. 

Using a menstrual cup allows people to make a significant environmental difference, and to help people understand their menstrual waste production and its impact on the environment, INTIMINA has created the Greentimina Menstrual Waste Calculator.

This simple tool calculates the amount of waste a person produces by using disposable menstrual products during their lifetime. It also estimates how much money a person will spend on those products.

Danela Zagar from INTIMINA, the brand behind the research, comments: “When it comes to changing our daily habits for environmental benefits, changing personal menstruation management and switching to reusable products plays a crucial part.

“The numbers describing the waste attributed to disposable menstrual products can be overwhelming. 

“Still, with small steps and small decisions oriented towards purchasing eco-friendly products, each person can reduce their carbon footprint and make a difference in saving the planet.”