Photo: Richard Heinen / Unsplash (CC0)
Today in Squirrel News: A simple invention saves dolphins from dying in fishing nets; a pilot project in India provides a zero-emission alternative for non-electrified routes; and a new process greatly improves the recycling of electric car batteries.
Dolphins keep dying in fishing nets because their natural sonar cannot detect them. An emeritus marine biologist has now found out that attaching empty plastic bottles to the nets enables dolphins to locate them and reduces the dolphin bycatch by 88 percent. During the trials no bottles were lost at sea.
Source: Discover Wildlife
The Flemish government has mandated a phased closure of Belgium’s last remaining dolphinarium at Boudewijn Seapark in Bruges, setting an absolute deadline for 2037. This decisive move prioritises animal welfare over commercial interests, bringing a decades-long debate on captive marine life to a close.
Source: The Brussels Times
The Dutch start-up ‘The Great Bubble Barrier’ has developed a system that uses air bubbles in rivers to prevent plastic waste from reaching the sea. It is already in use in the Netherlands and Portugal. The company hopes to scale the technology for use in Southeast Asia in some of the world’s most polluted rivers.
Source: Euronews
India has taken a major step toward decarbonising its railway network with the rollout of the first hydrogen-powered train built within the country. The pilot project marks a significant milestone in the country’s push for green mobility, aiming to provide a zero-emission alternative for non-electrified routes.
Source: AP News
The recycling of electric car batteries is considered one of the biggest challenges facing electric mobility. A Japanese company may have solved the problem with an innovation that allows the recovery of up to 90 percent of the lithium used in the batteries. Most previous approaches have achieved recovery rates of less than 50 percent.
Source: Unilad Tech
Following the earthquake and water supply disruption in Venezuela, the Japanese startup Wota is offering an innovative solution to acute hygiene problems. With the AI-controlled Wota Box, 98 percent of the drinking water can be treated on-site, meaning that 100 litres of water is sufficient for 100 showers, instead of the usual 5,000 litres.
Source: Jstories
Developers worldwide are trialling bold solutions to the challenge of storing enough clean energy to power systems at a global level. In Manchester, UK, ‘cryobatteries’ of air cooled to liquid show potential to store energy for weeks, while in Nevada developers are heating salt to increase storage capacity.
Source: The Guardian
To end animal cruelty and enhance safety, several Hindu temples across India are replacing real elephants with life-sized mechanical animatronics for religious rituals and processions. Supported by animal welfare organisations, these high-tech replicas can flap their ears, move their trunks, and replicate ceremonial movements.
Source: DW
The “Moyao Africa Initiative” utilises previously unused shea nut shells to produce fuel briquettes as an alternative to climate-damaging charcoal. This sustainable alternative not only reduces dependence on carbon but also provides women in northern Uganda with important financial independence through their work on the project.
Source: Aljazeera
An agricultural project in Sierra Leone helps people with lost limbs to build their own livelihoods. Participants learn sustainable farming methods and establish their own small farms, enabling a step towards greater self-reliance.
Source: Positive News
