200 ‘Dark Sky’ cities, first worker-owned franchise in the US, Rotterdam’s green roofs
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Photo: webdesignnewcastle / pixabay.com (CC0)
Today in Squirrel News, we take a look at the UK as the leading country with exceptionally low light pollution, Philadelphia’s immigrant-run co-operative franchise for entrepreneurs, and how green roofs combat urban heat and benefit its city’s residents.
Race to remain in the dark: British cities compete to reduce light pollution
Over 200 places world wide have reached the Dark Sky status of low light pollution, protecting an area larger than 110,000 square kilometers whilst creating a domino effect amongst cities. This includes turning off flood lights or exchanging bulbs for low-colour temperature or narrow-spectrum solutions.
First worker-owned franchise for immigrants opens in the US
The cleaning service co-operative “Brightly” is run democratically by its workers, offering fair conditions for eco-friendly cleaning services. Every worker has a single vote in any decision-making process and receives an hourly minimum wage of $31.
Rotterdam’s green roofs could reduce social injustice through biodiversity
While heat exposure is higher in low-income communities, green rooftops with urban farms, plants, wildflowers, or light paint can not only reduce heat islands but social injustice. Rotterdam’s air bridges connects the cities urban gardens.
US en route to pass bipartisan law on stricter gun control
For the first time in 30 years, a bipartisan group has agreed on a 80-page bill outlining stricter background checks for young people and the right to remove their firearms if considered dangerous.
European Commission to introduce legally binding targets to rehabilitate nature in EU
The landmark law seeks to halve the use of pesticides and to restore nature to 20% of the EU’s land by 2030 as well as all ecosystems by 2050. Governments would have to report regularly on their targets.
Smart Parks’: Long range wireless networks help combat poaching
The Dutch company uses sensors and machine learning throughout the parks to generate real-time data and assist anti-poaching teams. The LoRa-network uses far less energy by sending small data packages.
European Inventor Award granted for invention of therapeutic vaccinces
The Swiss team created “KISIMA”, a plattform to produce vaccines to treat patients that already contracted the illness. Another winner, Donald Sadoway, won the award for his liquid battery, made with locally sourced and rusable metals.
In case historic discrimination is evident in credit scores, US banks can set lower minimums for women as well as people of color. After three decades, Californian branch MUFG Union Bank sees the identical success rate for their special purpose credit programme compared to conventional ones.
The ‘Mockingbird’ programme creates events and networks to help parents and children of foster care families connect and share their experiences. Each constellation is comprised of between 6 and 10 families supporting each other.
More flowers, fewer cars: the rewilders turning parking spaces into parks
Across the UK and Europe, the ‘parklet’ movement is gaining pace, transforming dead spaces where cars used to be into pockets of green. The trend is set out to increase biodiversity worldwide.
