Gardens made from recycled mattresses, Swiss LGBT legislation, zero-waste grocery delivery service

Photo: marsraw / Pixabay (CC0)

In this issue of Squirrel News we have hydroponic gardens in a Syrian refugee camp being created from old mattress foam, legislation in Switzerland making homophobic discrimination illegal, and a modern milkman service that is designed to minimise plastic waste by delivering househould staples in reusable packaging.

Mattresses are being turned into hydroponic gardens in a refugee camp in Jordan

What was unrecyclable mattress foam is now the basis upon which fresh food can be more efficiently grown in a desert environment.

Source: Chemistry World

Switzerland enhances protections for LGBT community by making discrimination based on sexual orientation illegal

Through a referendum, homophobic acts will now be treated under the same legislation as racial and religious discrimination

Source: Global Citizen

The Loop is a new service being trialled to deliver household staple goods in order to eliminate plastic waste

Remodelling the milkman, this delivery service uses durable materials that are returned and reused for each grocery shop

Source: The Guardian

New Sesame Street show brings play and laughter to children displaced by the ongoing Syrian War

Produced with the help of educational experts and psychologists specifically for refugee children in the middle east, the three new muppets will try to bring play to refugee camps

Source: The Guardian

The wildfires have forced climate policy into the Australian political debate

Australia has experienced a wake-up call that has carved an opening for major change in their position on climate change

Source: Japan Times

The first ever all-electric plane to carry a passenger completes a successful test flight

Aviation has always seemed incompatible with a carbon-neutral future, but this Canadian airline has offered a glimmer of hope

Source: BBC News

A giant solar-powered ‘Meerkat’ is keeping an eye on rhinos in South Africa

This system of radars, cameras and sensos guards rhinos from poachers in South Africa’s largest national park

Source: CNN News

Reoffending rates in Durham are being slashed with offenders being offered a rehabilitative alternative to prison

Durham police are recognising the shortcomings in the UK justice system and offer some offenders a four-month contract to complete a rehabilitation programme instead of conviction

Source: The Guardian

Study suggests that algae should become a staple part of our diets for the sake of our gut health

Humans have been eating marine plants for milennia, but the modern western diet has been ignoring the clear health benefits, particularly in treating gastrointestinal disorders

Source: New Food Magazine

Beirut’s residents are now able to recycle easily with an app that pairs residents with local recycling services

Without any state-provided recycling collection services, Live Love Recycle is funded by NGOs to offer a free pick up service for any enviornmentally-conscious residents

Source: Reset

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