It’s the start of a new month, which means it’s time to take a look back at our editors’ favourite stories from the past few weeks! Read on to learn about efforts to reintroduce integrity into Welsh politics, the Scottish rewilding project that’s increased the local bumblebee population 116 times over, and the ways in which refugee communities are breathing life back into empty Spanish villages.
Politicians who deliberately lie could be forced from office in Wales
Proposals designed to restore trust in politics would criminalise the making of false statements to win votes. Radical changes suggested by the Welsh parliament standards committee would also make candidates in elections liable to criminal prosecution for making any false statement to win votes.
Nations reach milestone UN deal on global nature funding
After a series of intense negotiations in Rome, the UN struck a hard-won agreement to finance the protection of global ecosystems and wildlife. The plan – finalised after a year of deadlock following unsuccessful talks in Colombia – lays out a financial framework to raise and allocate the billions needed for essential biodiversity protections.
New Zealand mountain granted same legal rights as a person
The second-highest mountain on New Zealand’s North Island, Taranaki Mounga, and its surrounding peaks have been granted legal personhood, becoming the country’s third natural feature to gain the same rights, duties and protections as individuals.
Global air pollution is falling. Of six main harmful air pollutants, five appear to be past their peak and going down. These include sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and organic carbon. Only ammonia, which is produced from agriculture, is rising.
Child mortality rates drop in nine Asian countries
Thanks to improvements in and access to nutrition, clean water, sanitation, vaccinations, and general healthcare, nine Asian countries have seen the mortality rates of children under the age of five more than halve since 2000.
Cash for care initiative boosts infant vaccination rates in rural Nigeria
A programme offering cash payments to mothers is increasing infant immunisation rates in northern Nigeria, where millions of children remain unvaccinated. By covering transportation costs and providing a bonus for completing vaccination schedules, the initiative has helped enrol over 4.4 million infants in government clinics.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are now officially disconnected from Russia’s electricity network, joining the European Union’s grid instead. The move has been in the works since roughly 2007, and has long been seen as essential for European security.
Canada set to build North America’s largest solar plant
The solar farm is to be built on otherwise useless former industrial site in Medicine Hat, and has the potential to power a city of roughly 65,000 residents. The city has been chosen for a good reason: it experiences more days of sunlight in a year than any other Canadian city.
All 50 US states have introduced right to repair legislation
The right to repair movement has reached a milestone, with all 50 US states introducing legislation to expand repair access. Grassroots advocacy has fuelled this nationwide push, overcoming industry resistance and shaping policy changes.
Detroit set for fewest carjackings ever, lowest homicide rate since 1965
Last year, Detroit saw a 19.5% drop in the number of homicides in comparison to 2023, marking the lowest number of killings since 1966. Officials credit multiple factors with helping cut down on violence in the city, including bridge-building between communities and law enforcement as well as partnerships with external agencies.
Denver project “ends veteran homelessness” one year after launch
As of 19th December, the Colorado city has effectively eliminated street homelessness: a situation in which someone lives on the streets or in other places not intended for human habitation, with no safe or sheltered place to go at night.
Culdesac Tempe, about 15 miles east of downtown Phoenix, opened with a goal of making walkability its main feature. Now over 300 tenants call the area home, attracted by a healthier, more eco-friendly lifestyle and built-in community.
Norway has officially banned fur farming, requiring all remaining farms to close by this month, February 2025, due to animal welfare concerns. The government has allocated over 500 million Norwegian kroner ($50 million) in compensation to help farmers transition to new industries.
The Welsh government has announced the intention to ban the sport, which has long been criticised by animal rights activists for being harmful to dogs, “as soon as practically possible”. No timeline has been announced, but Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said it’s not “impossible” to come in before the next Welsh election in May 2026.
Irish people are living longer and with a better quality of life
Ireland’s healthcare workforce expansion has paid off: hospital doctor numbers are up 61.3% since 2015, with the number of nurses and midwives jumping to 34.9%. Thanks to this investment, Ireland can now boast an average life expectancy of 82.6 years, the fifth highest in the European Union.
Life satisfaction among English over-50s found higher than before pandemic
New research shows people over 50 in England have greater life satisfaction and more of a sense that life is worthwhile than before the pandemic, although depression remains common.
Bumblebee population increases 116 times over in Scotland
Thanks to Rewilding Denmarkfield – a 90-acre project located just off Perth – the local bumblebee population has increased to 4,056 in 2024 from 35 in 2021. Conservations also note that diversity has also improved, jumping from five to ten different species.
Free-roaming bison help restore biodiversity in Britain’s woodlands
A pioneering rewilding project in Kent has reintroduced European bison to naturally manage forests, creating diverse habitats for wildlife. Early results show the return of previously extinct species and a healthier ecosystem.
Wolves spark dramatic recovery of forests and wildlife in the US
A new study reveals that the return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park in the US has led to a 1,500% increase in streamside tree and shrub growth. By keeping large herbivores like elk in check, wolves have allowed vegetation to recover, improving habitats for birds and other wildlife.
From an environmental standpoint, golf courses are relatively detrimental: in the US, roughly 5.7 billion litres of water a day is used to irrigate golf courses, with runoff from pesticides used to maintain grass posing a threat to human health. Now, many sites are being returned to nature.
Refugees breathe life back into empty Spanish village
In Spain’s sparsely populated northeast, the village of Burbaguena saw its population dwindle to just over 200, with only a handful of children living there. Thanks to the arrival of a refugee centre, the number of residents has nearly doubled, much to the benefit of the local community.
Women refugees in Darfur lead reforestation effort in land blighted by war
The conflict and displacement in Darfur has caused a massive increase in tree cutting for charcoal and firewood in the Sudan-Chad borderland. Women refuges have organised and are planting neem trees to bring back the forest with support from the UN and the sale of their crafts.
In Awra Amba, Ethiopia, the division of labour, including farming, weaving and caring for children or elderly, has to be split equally between genders, according to the community’s rules. The result? Life expectancy and literacy levels in the community, among other metrics, far exceed Ethiopia’s national averages.
80,000 school kids in Cyprus help convert cooking oil to biofuel
In what is called the “frying pan movement” about 80,000 Cypriot school children bring used cooking oil from home for collection and conversion. The initiative prevents the oil from clogging drains and polluting ground water. The children then get to decide what green efforts their schools will support with their share of the profits from the sale of biofuel.
Singapore’s street art is helping people with dementia get around
More than 80% of Singapore’s residents over the age of 65 live in public housing blocks, but the uniform, whitewashed design of the ground floors can make it quite difficult for residents with dementia to navigate their surroundings. The Kebun Baru murals are part of a growing movement to make communities more accessible for people with this cognitive condition.
Hand-carved images allow blind children to feel the picture book experience
Living Paintings in the UK have been bringing blind and vision-impaired people more accessibility to art for 30 years. Now they are doing it with children’s picturebooks by carving images by hand that are reproduced to scale and paired with audiobooks.
Michelin chef opens world’s first fine dining restaurant staffed by homeless people
Home Kitchen is one of many high-end restaurants in London’s Primrose Hill, but it comes with a big difference: everyone who works there, from waitstaff to kitchen aids to the chefs themselves, has experienced homelessness in some form.
