In today’s edition of Squirrel News, we dive into Ecuador’s court decision granting nature rights to coastal ecosystems, Bangladesh reaching the milestone of near-universal electricity access within three decades, and how a Vienna-based brewery is breaking down outdated gender barriers in the brewing industry.
Ecuador’s coastal ecosystems have rights, court rules
Ecuador’s Constitutional Court has affirmed the inherent rights of coastal marine ecosystems – granting them legal protection under the nation’s constitution. These rights include the “integral respect for their existence” and the preservation of their life cycles, structure, functions, and evolutionary processes.
Bangladesh hits near-universal access to electricity in just 30 years
In 1991, less than 15% of Bangladesh’s population had access to electricity. Thirty years later, this figure has boomed to nearly universal coverage, with more than 100 million people gaining access during this period.
A new treatment offers the potential to target a broader range of cancers while cutting down on unpleasant side effects compared to conventional radiotherapy. What’s more: it takes less than a second to deliver.
The European Union’s new regulation prohibiting the use of bisphenol A (commonly known as BPA) in materials that come into contact with food became effective on January 20th. Exposure to the harmful endocrine disruptor has been associated with potential food contamination, and is commonly found in items such as cans, food containers, and water bottles.
NYC’s first guaranteed income scheme offers support to homeless mothers
Providing direct cash assistance helps to reduce poverty and improve overall wellbeing of the individual, but also benefits the health of their families and the early development of their children.
How one city relieved residents of $100 million in medical debt
“This doesn’t solve healthcare,” acknowledges St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, reflecting on the city’s partnership with Undue Medical Debt to erase $100 million in medical debt for thousands of residents. “But it does provide a real, clear breath of fresh air for a whole lot of people who need it right now.”
The world’s first feminist beer defying the misogynistic laws of 50 countries
Vienna-based Muschicraft is challenging outdated restrictions that limit women’s roles in brewing – from bans on alcohol production to prohibitions on night shifts, operating machinery, lifting heavy barrels, or even driving trucks.
Choctaw Nation builds new approach to harm reduction – and it’s working
Thanks to a new federal pilot project, the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma has developed a better model for addiction care. Blending cultural traditions, facts and figures, and modern medicine, this latest approach is delivering big results in harm reduction.
Michigan’s forests may hold the secret to climate-resilient apples
As climate change challenges apple growers worldwide, researchers in Michigan are on the lookout for an unlikely hero: a late-blooming sour apple variety hidden in the state’s forests. Using its genetic traits, they hope to develop apple trees better equipped to thrive in a warming world.
How a forest fire inspired one man to transform a barren ranch into rainforest
Juan Guillermo Garcés had a brush with death while burning jungle for cattle pasture – now he runs a nature reserve in Colombia where more than 100 new species have been discovered.