From New Zealand’s biggest-ever emissions reduction project to an Indian newspaper run by homeless children, here’s our recap of the best and most exciting stories from the last month.
Ecuador finds $1.6 billion for conservation efforts
Credit Suisse has bought up $1.6 billion worth of Ecuador’s bonds that the nation will now use to conserve the Galapagos island’s unique wildlife, in the largest debt-for-nature swap yet.
The biggest decline can be seen across South Asia: ten years ago, a girl’s risk of getting married as a child in this region was about 50% – but this has now fallen to about 30%.
New Zealand announces its biggest emissions reduction project in history
The move to power Glenbrook steel plant with electricity from renewables rather than coal will reduce emissions by 1% – the equivalent of taking 300,000 cars off the road.
New York takes big step toward renewable energy in “historic” climate win
New York state has passed legislation that will scale up the state’s renewable energy production and signals a major step toward moving utilities out of private hands to become publicly owned.
Paralysed man walks again thanks to electronic brain implants
A Swiss-developed algorithm helps “translate” and amplify a Dutch man’s brain signals, helping him regain the use of his legs after he was paralysed in a cycling accident twelve years ago.
A pharmaceutical trial by Eli Lilly has successfully slowed the growth of Alzheimer’s by clearing amyloid buildup in the brain. Overall, the new drug slows Alzheimer’s by 29% and by 35% in a group, researchers believed more responsive to it.
New artificial intelligence tool can accurately identify cancer
Doctors, scientists and researchers have built an AI model that can accurately identify cancer in a development that could speed up diagnosis of the disease and fast-track patients to treatment.
The First Nation that unilaterally declared a marine protected area
For 20 years, indigenous people of the Kitasoo/Xai’xais saw their coastal waters being depleted while the Canadian state dithered. Now they’ve taken matters into their own hands
By offering alternatives, utilising tobacco control and educating citizens, Sweden is well on its way to achieving the goal of less than 5% of the adult population smoking.
Italy’s first climate action lawsuit tackles major oil company
Encouraged by the success of conservation activists in other European countries, twelve Italian citizens along with Greenpeace Italy and ReCommon are targeting key fossil fuel players.
Colorado lawmakers push to make prison phone calls free
With daily 15-minute phone calls adding up to a bill of $438 a year, many families can’t afford to speak with incarcerated loved ones – something this bill aims to change.
After being dead last in a number of fields, Mississippi overhauled how reading was approached at schools and preschools, identifying people with difficulties and giving those kids more support.
“An undeniable success”: first UK council trial of four-day week set to be extended
The first UK council to experiment with a four-day working week is expected to extend the trial after analysis showed it was “overwhelmingly positive” for staff health and wellbeing without denting performance.
Guaranteed income helps Indian moms escape poverty
The Fund A Mom programme is deceptively simple, it just provides $60 a month to struggling single moms in Jaipur, India. It has helped them acquire jobs, start businesses and educate their children.
Anonymous Alert system helps students and staff at schools in Georgia
An anonymous platform to share concerns, suspicious activity and other issues has been implemented in schools in Oglethorpe County, as a method to help students with mental health and safety.
Illinois set to be the first US state to ban book bans
The landmark legislation is being hailed as “a triumph for our democracy”, representing a counter-movement to growing efforts to restrict books across the US.
Tech shields protect Spanish cities from wildfires
The “Guardian” system involves dozens of giant sprinkler towers distributing water in at-risk regions, keeping the ground and vegetation moist and less likely to ignite.
Utrecht’s vertical forest to hold same vegetation as 1 hectare of woodland
With 300 trees and 10,000 plants, Utrecht’s new green tower is expected to produce tonnes of oxygen, reduce noise pollution, and enhance the well-being of residents.
Bicycle Mayor Network is championing a two-wheeled revolution across Africa
The network aims to fast track the uptake of cycling, improve infrastructure, and present different ideas on how to create more livable cities – with bicycles at the centre.
How to make office-to-apartment conversions easier
As offices lay vacant, urban planners see a solution for the housing crisis. New legislation would help fast track the conversions, allowing developers to put more apartments on the market quickly.
By redesigning areas to better suit individuals with this condition, these innovative spaces are giving independence back to Singapore’s aging population.
An Indian village that turned hunters into conservationists
Khonoma in Nagaland has seen traditional hunting practices limited by elders in an effort to help conserve the rich wildlife of the area. Over time, the village council has developed programmes to become fully sustainable and self-sufficient.
When thinking about global development, toilets are not the first thing that comes to mind. But facilitating access to toilets for everyone has surprising benefits in various areas. In our new podcast episode, Sarika Saluja from the World Toilet Organisation explains why universal access to toilets is much more important than we’d think.
Farmers are turning to bees to improve elephant-community relations
As humans expand further into natural elephant habitats, a number of peaceful solutions are being trialled to reduce conflict between animals and people.
Medical Tactile Examiners is the name given to a group of blind women in India who help detect breast cancer using their hands. They have a higher success rate than non-blind doctors.
