Free school meals under Minnesota house bill, proposal to dim London lights, 10,000 women save India’s rarest stork

Leslie Boltron | Posted on February 13, 2023 |

In today’s edition of Squirrel News, the Minnesota House passes a bill to give students free breakfast and lunch, a new plan to fight light pollution would require London skyscrapers to dim their lights, and we meet the Indian women protecting one of the world’s rarest storks.

Minnesota House greenlights ‘universal’ school meals bill

The Minnesota House has passed legislation that offers students free breakfast and lunch, regardless of household income. The proposal seeks to address food insecurity.

Source: CBS Minnesota

Tuition-free school in Nigeria serves children through agricultural yield

The Anam New City School funds its operations through crops and livestock. Half of the yield feeds students, the rest covers admin costs.

Source: Prime Progress

London skyscrapers to dim lights under new proposal

A proposal in London aims to save energy and combat light pollution by turning off or dimming building lights that are unnecessary outside of business hours.

Source: The Guardian

Amazon deforestation drops in first month under Lula’s watch

This development in the world’s largest rainforest gives hope that efforts to safeguard the key natural resource and combat climate change are yielding results.

Source: Reuters

Incentivising US cities: A proposed bill aims to combat police brutality

A new bill being proposed in Congress would incentivize US cities to remove police officers from routine traffic stops, a move aimed at reducing racial profiling and police brutality.

Source: Bloomberg

How Berlin start-ups revolutionise work culture

Unlimited vacation, no bosses, and the same salary for less work. These are some of the policies adopted by Berlin start-ups to prioritise workers’ well-being.

Source: Euronews

Electricity day and night: Solar power is changing isolated Amazon communities

A new solar power initiative is bringing electricity to isolated communities in the Amazon, providing 24-hour access to energy for the first time.

Source: Mongabay

UK college introduces radical climate crisis course

Black Mountains College in Wales is pioneering a cutting-edge course aimed at providing students with the necessary skills to tackle the climate crisis.

Source: The Guardian

Eco-conscious homebuyers turn to ‘Earthships’

More and more homeowners are becoming conscious of the detrimental impact of conventional construction practises on the environment, and this has rekindled interest in off-grid communities.

Source: Reasons to be Cheerful

Mobilising Assam’s ‘hargila army’: how 10,000 women saved India’s rarest stork

Greater adjutants, reviled as bad omens, were endangered until Indian conservationist Purnima Devi Barman transformed attitudes to the bird – and gave thousands of women a new identity.