Photo: Carl Hunley Jr/Unsplash (CC0)
In today’s edition: Jamaica’s homicide rate has dropped by almost half amid rising public cooperation with police, Australia has established a vast new national park to protect koalas and other threatened species, and in Lagos, electric ferries are being considered as a cleaner, faster way to ease severe traffic congestion.
Jamaica is seeing a sharp decline in murders alongside a dramatic rise in anonymous crime tips to police. Deputy Prime Minister Horace Chang credits growing public cooperation and says the country is beginning to see a “peace dividend” through social and economic gains. Most tipsters, however, never claim rewards.
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
New South Wales has established the Great Koala National Park along Australia’s east coast, creating a substantial refuge for koalas and 66 of other threatened species. Conservationists say the move could help slow the species’ rapid decline as habitat loss and intensifying wildfires put growing pressure on native forests.
Source: Mongabay
Lagos’ chronic traffic congestion is costing commuters time while worsening pollution and air quality. Now, a network of electric ferries is set to alleviate the burden on local transport. As a result, travel times on many routes will drop from two hours to 30 minutes. The batteries are charged using solar energy.
Source: Deutsche Welle
The number of people worldwide without electricity has fallen dramatically this century, dropping from 1.35 billion to 675 million. Although population growth must be taken into account, Sub-Saharan Africa has also made substantial gains, with millions more households gaining access to power each year.
Source: Our World In Data
Clean-tech companies are finding new uses for retired electric vehicle batteries by turning them into large-scale energy storage systems. The reused batteries can store solar power, support energy trading and help reduce waste, all while strengthening renewable energy infrastructure.
Source: Positive News
Nearly a decade after bottom trawling and dredging restrictions were introduced off Scotland’s coast, scientists have recorded a strong recovery in seabed ecosystems. Protected areas in the South Arran Marine Protected Area now support far greater biodiversity and marine abundance than nearby fished waters.
Source: Oceanographic
South Africa’s Tswalu Kalahari Reserve is restoring former livestock land by reintroducing native wildlife and rebuilding ecosystems across nearly 118,000 hectares. Researchers say the project shows how rewilding can also improve soil carbon storage, with carbon credit sales helping fund long-term conservation efforts.
Source: Mongabay
A captive-rearing initiative inside prisons is helping save the endangered Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly, which has lost 97% of its native habitat. Run through the Sustainability in Prisons Project, the programme offers a last-resort breeding effort that may be keeping the species from extinction while also giving inmates a sense of purpose.
Source: Reasons To Be Cheerful
In Kigali, amputee football is bringing together players who have faced stigma and life-changing injury, offering a space for recovery and connection. The sport is also helping to encourage healing and social cohesion in a country still shaped by the legacy of the 1994 genocide.
Source: Al Jazeera
For 14 years, Krista Richard’s Bikes and Trikes for Everyone programme has collected and repaired donated bikes for free community giveaways. The initiative has helped thousands of children – and increasingly parents – enjoy the outdoors and connect with their neighbours.
Source: CBC
