In today’s edition of Squirrel News, Sweden becomes a “smoke-free” nation, a brain implant helps a paralysed man walk again and the construction of millions of toilets helps countries like India to progress in many different areas.
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.
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.
Meningitis, which kills over two-hundred thousand people a year, might now be curtailed, as a new NmCV-5 vaccine has been found effective in limiting the disease.
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.
Investments in solar power exceed oil investments for first time
For the first time ever, global investments in solar energy have topped investments in oil, as the world transitions away from fossil fuel energy. Over the last decade, investments in solar power have tripled, while oil investments are down by half.
Serbia successfully entices gun owners to turn in weapons
Instead of fighting gun owners, Serbia used dialogue, amnesty and understanding to get them to give up their weapons, following two mass shootings, a lesson other nations with similar issues could learn from.
Women decision-makers can improve conservation and agriculture
The study, published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, aimed to look at the effectiveness of paying farmers monetary incentives to protect the environment but found that such payments are not necessarily reliable; more reliable are women’s decision-making roles.
Somaliland women smell success as frankincense business takes off
Jaamac is the chairperson of a new frankincense sorting collective called Beeyo Maal, which empowers about 280 women to run their own businesses in the male-dominated frankincense industry. “Now, we are in charge and we have got the freedom to run our business,” said Jaamac, who is also one of the founding members.
“Biochar” may be the carbon-removal solution of the future
Made from wood chips, manure, leaves and even coffee husks, biochar can remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it for a thousand years. If used at scale, around 12% of the world’s emissions could be “captured.”
A regenerative farming system to beat world hunger
Uganda is building “epicenters,” which educate thousands on resilient, sustainable and regenerative farming methods. People then form communal farms and even organise other amenities like banks, nurseries, schools and even medical facilities.
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.
