African free trade area, Buddhist monk battles human trafficking, Mexico City bans single-use plastics

| Posted on January 6, 2021 |

Photo: Eva Blue / Unsplash (CC0)

In today’s edition of Squirrel News, we’re talking about how Africa launched the world’s largest trade area, a former buddhist monk tackling sex trafficking through education, and Mexico City’s fight against single-use plastic.

Africa launches free continental trade bloc

While a full implementation of the trade bloc requires further collaboration, the continent has launched the largest free trade area in the history of the World Trade Organisation.

Source: Aljazeera

Former monk combats human trafficking in Thailand

Hartanto Gunawan’s community learning centre in a Buddhist monastery offers training and alternative career paths to young women.

Source: Global Geneva

Mexico City initiates ban of single-use plastics in 2021

Following the initiatives of countries and communities worldwide, one of the world’s largest cities now also prohibits plastic forks, straws and cups among other single-use materials.

Source: Deutsche Welle

Indian fashion designer turns old PPE into mattresses for hospitals and the homeless

Using a simple braiding technique, Lakshmi Menon enables rural women in India to generate income by producing hygienic and affordable mattresses.

Source: The Guardian

Pineapple drones: Malaysian researchers take waste to the sky

By searching for a use for pineapple waste that boosts productivity of farmers, this team uses pineapple waste to improve the quality of synthetic fibres of regular drones.

Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation

Colombia’s sustainable timber harvesting conserves biodiversity and businesses

The country’s thorough supervision of timber harvesting supports rural Colombians along the value chain while conserving it’s rich biodiversity.

Source: Mongabay

Deforestation alert system could reduce forest loss and mitigate climate change

The satellite-based programme integrates and offers free alerts on illegal deforestation activity.

Source: posibl

Ancient wetlands to ensure water supply in Indian city

Using scientific data to illustrate the impact of pollution on its wetlands the city of Chennai is not only conserving biodiversity, but has rediscovered an age-old system of interconnected ponds.