A recap of 2020 – Part 1: Falling suicide rates after gay marriage legalisation, Dengue breakthrough, $7,500 for the homeless

Photo: Yoko Correia Nishimiya / Unsplash (CCO)

To mark the end of 2020, we are excited to present you with a compilation of highlights from this year’s Squirrel News issues. Feel free to browse through part 1.

Suicide rates of those in same-sex unions falls by 46% after gay marriage is legalised

Since marriage rights were extended to include LGBT+ couples in Sweden and Denmark, suicide rates have almost halved among those in same-sex unions.

Source: The Guardian

Dengue breakthrough in Indonesia after release of natural laced bacteria mosquitoes

Infections in the city of Yogyakarta plummeted by 77% following the release of mosquitoes injected with Wolbachia bacteria.

Source: The Guardian

A research study in which homeless people were given $7,500 improved housing and food security

The project in British Columbia resulted in participants finding safe housing quickly and lowering rates of substance abuse.

Source: CBC

Iran joins the #MeToo conversation

Since August last year, Iranian women have taken to the streets to share their experiences with sexual assault and violence. There is hope for it to grow into a broader movement against sexual violence across Iran.

Source: Al Jazeera

Portuguese youth activists are holding the governments of 33 countries accountable for climate change

Six young people have filed a case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, citing a lack of tangible policies.

Source: Deutsche Welle

The first treatment for Ebola has been approved by the FDA

The recently ratified drug targets the ‘zaire’ Ebola strain, which usually kills 60% to 90% of those infected.

Source: Medical Xpress

Sudan has officially criminalised female genital mutilation

The practice is now punishable by three years in prison, and is a huge win for activists who have campaigned for years against the procedure.

Source: BBC News

Colombian campesinos and cattle ranchers have joined forces to protect the Amazon rainforest

The historic zero-deforestation agreement means that regeneration of the fragile soils is now a top priority.

Source: Mongabay

Bees, plants, hummingbirds and trees given citizenship in Costa Rican suburb

The Mayor granted the species citizenship in a move to ensure that urban planning benefits both wildlife and humans.

Source: The Guardian

How a Chinese city transformed a desert into greenlands

After suffering from catastrophic sandstorms, the city of Yulin responded with decades of planting trees. Today over 92% of the Maowusu Desert is green.

Source: Intelligent Living

Love takes over – gay men rebrand the Proud Boys’ Hashtag

This was not quite the attention the far-right group expected: their Twitter hashtag was trending on Sunday. But this time #proudboys was flooded by photos and memes of gay men and their families and friends.

Source: CNN

World’s rarest primates return from brink of extinction thanks to conservation efforts

From fewer than 10 Hainan gibbons in 1970, the Hong Kong-based Kadoorie Conservation effort has helped their population more than triple to over 30 today.

Source: South China Morning Post

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