To mark the end of 2022, we’re excited to present you with a compilation of the most interesting and powerful solutions-focused journalism Squirrel News shared this year—from children saved from Malaria to prisons without wardens and guns and much more.
More than one million African children inocculated with first malaria vaccine
The World Health Organization declared that more than a million children in Kenya, Malawi and Ghana have received at least one dose of the first anti-malaria vaccine.
Historic change’: Number of poor people in India has decreased drastically
The number of poor people in India fell by about 415 million between 2005-06 and 2019-21. According to the UN, the ‘historic change” demonstrates that the Sustainable Development Goal target of reducing global poverty at least by half is achievable.
A Brazilian microbiologist has made the ground-breaking discovery that innoculating corals with probiotics can make them more resilient against climate change and environmental damage.
Historic COP27 deal to compensate countries vulnerable to climate disasters
The agreement reached at the climate summit in Egypt was ‘a step towards justice,’ according to the UN Secretary-General. It has been agreed that a fund will be established to assist poor nations with climate-related loss and damage.
For first time, youth take official ‘seat at the table’ at COP
The children of today and future generations will bear the brunt of the worsening climate change impacts. Being given a COP platform means young advocates can participate in policy discussions and promote cutting-edge initiatives.
Germany to legalise cannabis use and limited possession for adults
Germany aims to make the possession and use of cannabis legal by 2024. Adults will be able to buy and grow the plant in limited quantities and possess no more than 30g for personal use.
How Hawaii reduced its population of girls in prison to zero
While a decade ago more than 100 girls were imprisoned on the island’s only youth facility, now thanks to Mark Patterson, the facility’s administrator, no female minors are detained.
The UN has been urging states to improve their health systems, saying there are nearly a billion people with mental conditions worldwide. Now the United States is heeding the call by introducing a support network patterned after 911.
In our podcast, we have talked with Angie Belcher, the founder of Comedy on Referral. In this episode, Angie explains how she came up with the idea and how using self-satire on stage makes people stronger and more self-confident.
Pakistani comedians challenge gender stereotypes and patriarchal norms
Stand-up comedy has long been a male-dominated field in Pakistan. Now all-female comedy troupes are carving out a position for themselves in the industry.
The tallest building made from hemp is now in Cape Town
The 12-storey block is made of hemp shiv and the woody core of the cannabis plant. The new building is a sustainable solution for construction that is carbon negative and allows for emissions to be taken out of the atmosphere by the growth of the cannabis plant.
Rainwater-harvesting hospital named world’s ‘best new building’
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) named a small health facility in Bangladesh the world’s best new building. The rural Friendship Hospital takes pride for its climate-conscious concept.
First US neighborhood microgrid to provide back-up power to Black neighborhood
The project is set to become the country’s first neighborhood-scale microgrid. Deemed as a potential model for communities, it will enable residents and hospitals to access power during outages.
From adversity to university: homeless people get degrees
The University of Chichester gives people who have experienced homelessness access to higher education – “something that you wouldn’t have dreamed that you’d be doing”, one of them says.
Adversity to university: degrees for homeless people
In our podcast, we have talked with Becky Edwards and Darren Higginson who are part of the pioneering programme at the University of Chichester that opens up access to higher education for people who have experienced homelessness.
Patagonia stock donated to environmental non-profit
The founder of the outdoor gear company, Patagonia, has decided to transfer 100% of his voting stock to an environmental trust. This stock is projected to provide the trust with 100 million dollars annually from dividends.
Open source seeds give small farmers opportunity to avoid agricultural patents
Farmers have been forced to buy expensive, patented seeds from large corporations. Now, the Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI) has introduced seeds that are not restricted, allowing for more biodiversity in the industry.
‘Once in a generation’ scheme to restore nature in 22 areas across England
The landscape recovery scheme is being hailed by land managers and conservationists as the most ‘exciting and important’ step in a generation to restore lost biodiversity.
Opium production down as communities in Mexico’s Golden Triangle turn to forestry
Four communities in Mexico’s ‘Golden Triangle’, an area known for opium and marijuana production, embarked on a sustainable forestry project to reduce dependence on illegal crop production. The project has helped lift the Tamazula municipality off the state’s poverty list, raise their income above the minimum wage and contain narcotrafficking.
The convicted felons of Sanganer’s open prison, one of 88 in India, can leave the premises of the prison for 12 hours a day to visit families pursue careers – all based on mutual trust.
In our podcast, we have talked with researcher and activist Smita Chakraburtty who has studied India’s open prisons and contributed to their spreading in India. In this episode, she explains to us how the systems works and what benefits it has.
