The Best News of 2019

Best News of 2019

Every month good things happen. Hence in the tradition of the year in review we like to remind you of three randomly selected news articles of each month.

January

For january there are no articles in our database since BetterNews.eu only launched at the end of february 2019.

February

Scientists turn CO2 'back into coal' in breakthrough carbon capture experiment

New technique could help future removal of harmful greenhouse gas from atmosphere

26/02/2019 The Independent

Hot, disabled and not afraid to show it

It's hard to find a new hashtag, but Andrew Gurza did just that, with #DisabledPeopleAreHot.

26/02/2019 BBC

A New Form of Carbon Capture: CO2 Turned Into Coal, at Room Temperature

Carbon capture and sequestration via direct air methods - that is, from the ambient air rather than point sources - is a relatively new field in science. Even more so is turning that captured carbon into something stable - such as basalt rock.

27/02/2019 Reset.org

March

'Give back to the earth': Washington plans to legalize composting of human remains

When Briar Bates was dying she made a request to her friend, Katrina Morgan: bury me in my garden.

12/03/2019 The Guardian

H.I.V. Is Reported Cured in a Second Patient, a Milestone in the Global AIDS Epidemic

Scientists have long tried to duplicate the procedure that led to the first permanent remission 12 years ago. With the so-called London patient, they seem to have succeeded.

05/03/2019 New York Times

India Goes Electric With Battery-Swapping Rickshaws

Because even an electric autorickshaw can be out of reach for many, SUN Mobility is trying a different tack to clean up India's air.

29/03/2019 Wired

April

Girl finds her voice after brain surgery

Leia was born profoundly deaf but pioneering surgery and therapy has enabled her to hear sounds.

21/04/2019 BBC

Dutch engineers build world's biggest sun-seeking solar farm

The 15 floating solar islands will possess sunflower-like ability to turn to face the sun

21/04/2019 The Guardian

‘Erisology,’ the New Science of Arguing About Everything

Disagreement is central to our lives online, and it deserves an academic discipline of its own.

07/04/2019 The Atlantic

May

Hip-hop schools and graffiti art saved Medellin. Can they do the same for Paris?

In the hilly streets of Medellín’s Comuna 13, once ranked the most dangerous district in one of the most dangerous cities in the world, Daniel Carvalho is a local hero.

18/05/2019 The Guardian

The butterfly effect: how one species’ miraculous comeback could save the planet

The Duke of Burgundy is back from the brink – and the work to conserve it has helped other declining species. Does this mean there is hope in the face of Insectageddon?

27/05/2019 The Guardian

Would you pay $14 to help stop Bali drowning in plastic?

Indonesia is drowning in plastic. A new tax on tourists is just one of a string of reforms the Bali governor is introducing to tackle that problem.

11/05/2019 Sydney Morning Herald

June

Replacing Plastic: Can Bacteria Help Us Break The Habit?

Entrepreneurs are eager to find substitutes for plastic that naturally degrade. One option is a "natural" plastic made by microbes and then eaten by them. But the process is still in early days.

17/06/2019 NPR

HPV Vaccines Are Reducing Infections, Warts — and Probably Cancer

An analysis covering 66 million young people has found plummeting rates of precancerous lesions and genital warts after vaccination against the human papillomavirus.

27/06/2019 New York Times

Days of wine and wind power: What Europe's greenest city can teach us

Copenhagen is packed with environmental statements, projects, test-beds and innovations.

29/06/2019 Sydney Morning Herald

July

Computer Models, Epic Floods, and the Fate of Coastal Cities

By 2050, coastal cities like Charleston may experience flooding more than 300 days a year. Now scientists can better predict—and plan for—the effects.

18/07/2019 Wired

Kenyan Nature Reserve Opens World's First Lab Dedicated to Conservation Technology

Technological solutions are increasingly being used in the fight against poaching. The Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya has founded a brand new lab to build the next generation of digital conservation technology.

03/07/2019 Reset.org

Shy, endangered bird spotted for first time in 30 years on RSPB reserve after conservation effort

50 years ago, the distinctive crackling call of the corncrake could be heard across the country.

24/07/2019 Telegraph

August

How the world is winning the fight against neglected tropical diseases

New drugs have made the elimination of horrific conditions such as sleeping sickness feasible.

27/08/2019 New Statesman

The Upside series: 'Our reporting generates change for the better'

The Guardian’s special projects editor, Mark Rice-Oxley, on optimistic journalism that focuses on solutions, initiatives, innovations and people making a difference

03/08/2019 The Guardian

Cities are heating up, how can we keep them cool?

By 2050 Berlin could be as warm as Canberra in Australia. With cities around the world grappling over solutions to rising temperatures, Germany's sunniest city is wasting no time to act.

02/08/2019 Deutsche Welle

September

Groundbreaking twice-yearly jab could transform lives of high cholesterol sufferers by replacing daily statin tablets

Injection would be 'game-changer' for millions, doctors say

03/09/2019 The Independent

NFL Season Kicks Off With Refuges For Fans With Sensory Needs To Take A Timeout

The Philadelphia Eagles, the Seattle Seahawks and the Minnesota Vikings have all opened rooms in their stadiums for fans, including those with autism, who need a break from sensory overload.

10/09/2019 NPR

Global renewable energy initiative aims to bring a billion people in from the dark

Worldwide commission aims to end energy poverty in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia by driving investment in new technology

13/09/2019 The Guardian

October

Using Old Cellphones to Listen for Illegal Loggers

Indonesian villagers are trying out a treetop surveillance system that uses recycled phones and artificial intelligence software to detect chain saws.

16/10/2019 New York Times

Experimental cancer drug that targets gene mutation can shrink tumours

A drug that targets cancers with a mutated KRAS gene removed tumours in 8 out of 10 mice and shrunk tumours in 2 out of 4 people

30/10/2019 NewScientist

Two of three polio viruses eradicated in 'historic' step: WHO

The World Health Organization welcomed an "historic step" toward a polio-free world on Thursday as an expert panel certified that the second of three types of the crippling virus has been eradicated globally.

24/10/2019 Reuters

November

Africa poised to lead way in global green revolution, says report

Continent is set for massive urbanisation but can avoid relying on fossil fuels, says IEA

08/11/2019 The Guardian

Apocalypse Got You Down? Maybe This Will Help

Searching for a cure for my climate crisis grief.

15/11/2019 New York Times

Ireland to impose "latte levy" by 2021 to cut plastic waste

Ireland will impose a so-called latte levy on disposable coffee cups by 2021 in a bid to change consumer habits and cut the environmental impact from the use of single-use plastics, its minister for climate action said on Wednesday.

06/11/2019 Reuters