From the decline in litter on European coasts to the ship turning ocean plastic into hydropower: here’s our recap of the most important constructive news and stories from the past month.
Clean energy puts China’s CO2 emissions in reverse for first time
The fast growth in China’s clean power generation has caused the country’s carbon dioxide emissions to drop. New data suggests that emissions were down 1.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, and by 1% in the past 12 months.
Litter on EU coastlines down by almost a third in five years
The European Environmental Agency (EEA) reports an overall decline of litter on EU beaches of 29% between 2015 and 2021, with single-use plastics considered alone down by 40%.
French NGO Gaia First is working to divert billions of tonnes of plastic pollution from coastal communities. The goal is to reduce them back to the raw elements they’re made of, often hydrocarbons, before reusing them as energy.
US doctors rewrite DNA of infant with severe genetic disorder in medical first
Doctors in the US have become the first to treat a baby with a customised gene-editing therapy after diagnosing the child with a severe genetic disorder that kills about half of those affected in early infancy. International researchers have hailed the feat as a medical milestone, saying it has the potential to treat an array of devastating genetic diseases by rewriting faulty DNA soon after affected children are born.
New test to diagnose brain tumours 100% effective in as little as 90 minutes
Scientists at the University of Nottingham, where the new test has been used in 50 operations so far, are calling it a “gamechanger”. The genetic test reduces the time for a critical diagnosis from weeks to hours.
World’s first gonorrhoea vaccine to be rolled out in England
The vaccine alone could cut 40% of new gonorrhoea cases, with health minister Ashley Dalton stating that “by targeting those most at risk, we can reduce transmission rates from this unpleasant disease that is becoming harder to treat and prevent thousands of cases over the next few years.”
Inverse vaccines’ could be a ‘holy grail’ treatment for autoimmune diseases
Some researchers say a new approach, which suppresses a particular part of the immune system rather than amplifying it, could be available in the next five years. It promises to work for a wide variety of autoimmune disorders by re-educating the immune system to not attack the body.
Solar panels to be fitted on all new-build homes in England by 2027
Part of the net zero agenda of the UK’s Labour government, new home builders will be required to include solar panels in their construction. The government says the technology is vital for reducing home energy costs and boosting the country’s energy security.
NYC’s congestion toll sees students spending more time in school
There’s an unexpected but not unwelcome side effect to New York’s controversial congestion pricing scheme: students are spending on average an extra 30 minutes per week in school thanks to quicker bus services.
Design lab develops first-of-its-kind 3D-printed wheelchair for kids
With most pediatric wheelchairs costing thousands, New Orleans-based adaptive design lab MakeGood NOLA has come up with a solution: a 3D-printed modular alternative that they’re giving away for free.
How a California county eliminated forever chemicals from the water supply
The presence of PFAS chemicals in drinking water is a major public health concern across the US. However, thanks to the country’s largest treatment facility of its kind, Yorba Linda has successfully managed to remove these dangerous substances from their water supply.
With 10,000 homes and businesses destroyed in the Eaton fire, the historically Black community of Altadena, California, is vulnerable to outside investors and speculators. Housing non-profit Greenline has just purchased a first property to be held in trust for the community and plans to continue buying more as they find donors to support the effort.
Despite conservative leadership that has resisted broader decarbonisation policies and supported fossil fuels, Florida is fast emerging as a powerhouse in terms of solar energy development.
The cobblestoned Dutch region joins three other cities globally in receiving the status. The accolade essentially recognises the city’s hard work in restoring wetlands, greening its streets, and getting local residents actively involved in the process.
Dutch nursing home trades free rent for students’ time and companionship
Twelve years ago, the Humanitas Deventer care centre in the Netherlands launched an intriguing scheme: local college students could live rent-free at the nursing home in return for spending 30 hours each month offering their time to elderly residents.
Southern California unleashes sterile mosquitoes in bid to curb disease
The release of sterile male mosquitoes in the area has led to a population drop of roughly 82%, according to new studies. Researchers hope the move might help tackle an unprecedented local transmission of dengue fever in the district.
India’s Asiatic lion population triples in 5 years and expands footprint
Only 20 Asiatic lions were left in 1913 due to hunting and human encroachment, but the population has been increasing steadily in the last 2 decades and this month’s 5-yearly census counted 891 lions. Formerly just in a wildlife sanctuary in western India, the lions have spread over 11 districts of the state including coastal and non-forested areas.
Mexico’s fishing refuges are fighting back against poaching
Tired of government inaction, conservationists and fishing communities are taking it upon themselves to set up and keep an eye on no-catch zones to tackle species depletion due to overfishing.
Upcycled fire hose bridge helping Malaysian monkeys safely cross roads
With urban spaces in Malaysia growing, the Dusky Langurs face danger crossing busy roadways to get from one forest fragment to the next. Now old fire hoses are finding new purpose in the construction of Malaysia’s first monkey bridge.
The Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe is healing the Colorado River ecosystem
By planting one native seed at a time, as well as clearing introduced species from the riverbanks and flood plain, the tribe has given native plants at the site an 80% survival rate.
The mango project breaking the hunger cycle in a Ugandan village
While working at a health centre in Yumbe district, Francis Asiku was surprised to learn that what many infants and expectant mothers needed wasn’t necessarily medicine: it was nutritious food.
Homeowners across the US are adopting No Mow May all year long
The Now Mow May initiative sprung up several years ago to encourage gardeners to leave their lawns alone during the spring, giving flowers and grass the chance to grow for pollinators and water retention. The movement became more popular than expected, and has expanded to Let It Bloom June and the autumnal version: Leave The Leaves.
