Photo: Gyan Shahane / Unsplash (CC0)
Today in Squirrel News: The proportion of rural households in India with access to drinking water has increased fivefold within just a few years; England caps fares for most buses at £2; and Rome is offering free visits to air-conditioned cinemas.
A 2019 initiative of the Indian government to bring a potable water supply to all rural households is having success. The Jal Jeevan Mission has brought the percentage of homes in rural India with a drinkable water supply from 16.7% to 80.9%.
Source: Mint
Most buses in England will be capped again at £2, the administration of new Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced Thursday. The same amount of funding to pay for the cap in England will go to Scotland and Wales, where those governments can decide how to use it. The new government also said this week it would cut taxes on home electricity bills.
Source: BBC
Unsold clothes, shoes and accessories are typically destroyed, contributing to fashion waste. The EU has now banned large companies from simply disposing of inventory they can’t sell in a bid to incentivise repair, reuse and recycling.
Source: DW
Dedicated to the prevention of digital media addiction and the promotion of conscious smartphone use, the project “Discover” is underway in Florence. While other European countries rely on strict bans, Italy is taking a preventive approach to education, offering workshops, media courses and creative projects.
Source: Euronews
The Osprey is a protected bird in Estonia, with only about 100 breeding pairs in the Baltic country. Now, healthier rivers and habitat restoration efforts have paid off, as researchers have identified new nests in western Estonia.
Source: ERR.ee
With the cost of youth sports rising, the Oakland Parks, Recreation and Youth Development department has started a lending library, where children can borrow equipment. They believe it will help with social mobility and help kids connect with their peers.
Source: SFGate
After kit or sponsorship changes, football clubs typically discard their old jerseys, adding to the growing issue of textile waste. Depacon, a North Macedonian company that specialises in upcycling, is collaborating with Dutch firm FC88 to turn discarded, old football jerseys into new accessories like hats and bags.
Source: Reuters
In southern Europe heat hits hard. Italy’s capital Rome is therefore offering free film screenings in eleven air-conditioned cinemas. The programme expands the existing network of cooling oases in the city and is named after a US film classic from 1983: ‘The Big Chill’.
Source: Reuters
Science fiction has fuelled present solutions by stirring interest in testing fictional innovations. BBC climate journalist Jordan Dunbar speaks with famed sci-fi writer Kim Stanley Robinson about why scientists and politicians are turning to him for ideas and advice about climate solutions.
Source: BBC
