We’re wrapping up the week at Squirrel News talking about how Global South countries are rapidly adopting clean energy, the guaranteed income project offering no-strings cash to Chicago’s ex-prisoners, and the conservation measures that have seen American oystercatcher populations increase by 45%.
Global South countries are seeing a cleantech revolution
When it comes to the grid’s share of electricity from solar and wind, the Global South is growing twice as fast as the Global North, deploying renewables much faster than predictions suggested.
Recycling solar cells repeatedly without compromising on energy efficiency
Solar power has exploded in popularity over the past couple of years, but perovskite cells are especially difficult to recycle. Researchers from Linköping University in Sweden believe they may have found a solution in the form of a newly designed recycling technique.
Although shorebird population across the Americas have declined by almost 50% in the past four decades, the American oystercatcher has done the opposite. Thanks to extensive conservation measures, the population has grown by almost 45% since 2008.
In a first-of-its-kind facility in Finland – and one of the first in Europe – Finnish company P2X Solutions has officially started commercial green hydrogen production at its new facility. It uses renewable electricity, such as wind power, which lets it call the hydrogen it produces “green.”
Chicago’s guaranteed income project offers no-strings cash to ex-inmates
A pilot project known as the Chicago Future Fund provided $500 to 100 formerly incarcerated individuals from March 2023 until February 2024. The results from the scheme – which is based in the city’s west side, where unemployment and police activity is high – show that it’s working.
A repurposed shipping container is now a farm that feeds immigrants for free
All the food grown by Village Hydroponics in Vermont – a mutual aid food distribution collective – is spread among underserved communities across Nepal, Somalia, Iraq, Congo, Burundi and more.
Scientists have developed a feeding tool for coral reef restoration
A submersible, programmable light known as UZELA can be deployed at a coral restoration site for up to six months on just one battery. It works by emitting light for roughly one hour per night, which increases concentrations of zooplanktons and allows corals more feeding opportunities.
How building materials get a second life thanks to careful deconstruction
While the process of slowly dismantling old buildings piece-by-piece might take a little longer than demolition, it dramatically reduces unnecessary waste and emissions by turning used stock into the raw materials for new constructions.
Homeless outreach rangers offer help, not citations
In San Francisco’s sprawling Golden Gate Park, a team of outreach rangers offer help with the overly-complicated bureaucratic hurdles facing the city’s homeless community. This could be anything from getting their hands on a new ID or housing – even bus tickets.
The youth-led club fighting social media’s grip on young people
A club started by high school students has spread to colleges across the US. Members of the Luddite Group felt the effect of smartphones negatively impacting their lives, and decided to start analogue conversations around the impact our online lives are having on real-world presence.
