Saving the world’s pangolins, smart farming app rescuing crops, coral reef satellite protection

Photo:  Nik Borrow via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

In today’s edition of Squirrel News, we’re talking about protection measures for endangered pangolins, a smart farming app helping Indonesian farmers identify and treat crop disease, and a Commonwealth plan to to protect coral reefs using satellite technology.

Pangolins elevated to level one protected species status within China

The move also means a ban on the use of pangolin scales in traditional Chinese medicine, and will likely grind the commercial trade of the species to a halt.

Source: Mongabay

An AI chatbot is helping farmers in Indonesia to identify and treat crop disease

The smart farming app uses a deep learning algorithm in order to fight pests and prevent the spread of undesirable bugs.

Source: Reset

Commonwealth countries are to use satellite technology in order to monitor and protect coral reefs

The measures will protect the reefs from threats including overfishing, pollution, and climate breakdown.

Source: The Guardian

Draft legislation permitting same-sex marriage in Switzerland has been approved

The bill was overwhelmingly supported by parliament, with almost two-thirds of legislators voting in favour in a move that has been hailed as a win for LGBT+ rights.

Source: Reuters

West Virginia has elected their first openly transgender public official

Rosemary Ketchum won a seat on Tuesday on the Wheeling City Council, aiming to prioritise an increase in affordable, reduction in homelessness, and solution to the opioid crisis.

Source: Advocate

Black Lives Matter protesters have turned the 1.7 mile fence surrounding the White House into a memorial

The monument to racial injustice consists of powerful signs and posters advocating for equality, and is unmissable from the president’s residence.

Source: Fempositive

Colorado College has achieved carbon neutrality after setting themselves a challenge in 2009

The school has reached a milestone met by only a handful of colleges in the United States, potentially encouraging others to follow suit.

Source: The Planetary Press

Europe’s largest online fashion retailer will only stock sustainable brands from 2023

Zalando has announced that only environmentally responsible businesses will be able to list their products, with measures also in place to vet and monitor their social impact.

Source: Euronews

A French chef has unveiled an innovative air ventilation system to keep his small restaurant open during the era of social distancing

Diners at Alain Ducasse’s Parisian venue will be partially protected from airborne virus transmission using high-tech filtration technology.

Source: AP News

An engineer has upcycled over 120 tonnes of waste stone dust into natural home cooling devices

The low-cost energy-saving process reduces air pollution and electricity usage, in addition to empowering local craftsmen.

Source: The Better India

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