What Could Citizens’ Assemblies Do for American Politics?
An Oregon county is looking for solutions to youth homelessness—so it convened a random selection of residents to come up with ideas.
31/12/2024 The New Yorker
December
December 2024
Belgium will ban sales of disposable e-cigarettes in a first for the EU
Belgium will ban the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes as of Jan. 1 on health and environmental grounds in a groundbreaking move for European Union nations
29/12/2024 The Independent
Snails on ‘edge of extinction’ released into wild after UK breeding success
More than 1,300 pea-sized Desertas Island land snails have been released after a successful breeding programme by Chester Zoo.
28/12/2024 The Independent
‘Living proof that you can spend money on the poor’: Utopia comes to Mexico City
Mexico City’s mayor has never been afraid to court controversy. Clara Brugada has taken some imaginative steps in her efforts to undo decades of economic and cultural inequality in one of the capital’s most impoverished neighbourhoods.
27/12/2024 The Guardian
From dream to reality: Go-op, Britain’s first cooperative railway
The idea for the country’s first cooperative rail service came to Alex Lawrie in 2004 after another frustrating trip across Somerset.
27/12/2024 The Guardian
‘A Terrible Irony’: How the Media Lost Trust
Americans have record-low trust in the media. They’re reading traditional news less. Platforms, too, have broken up with news organizations, making it harder for them to attract readers to their stories.
23/12/2024 The Atlantic
How Much Does Our Language Shape Our Thinking?
English continues to expand into diverse regions around the world. The question is whether humanity will be homogenized as a result.
23/12/2024 The New Yorker
Could mosquitoes deliver vaccines against malaria?
Scientists have engineered the pests to provide enhanced immunity to the disease they transmit, according to new study.
21/12/2024 Al Jazeera
Getting people out of their cars is possible with the right plans and policies – case study
Encouraging walking, cycling and public transport use requires a cohesive, collaborative approach by all involved. The latest University of Canterbury travel survey shows how effective it can be.
19/12/2024 The Conversation
Barcelona subway recycles energy from braking into power to charge electric cars
Barcelona's subway system is using regenerative braking to help power both its convoys but also recharge electric cars at street level
18/12/2024 The Independent
Bamboo bonanza: how a village in India used its forest to go from poverty to prosperity
It’s late morning and the sound of axes clacking against wood echoes through Pachgaon’s bamboo forest in the central Indian state of Maharashtra.
17/12/2024 The Guardian
Saving the sun's energy and storing it — with mirrors
Rooftop solar panels are a familiar sight but are not the only way the sun is used to create energy. As China ups its investment in concentrated solar power, is the techology set for a revival?
16/12/2024 Deutsche Welle
Salt of the Earth: The Rise of Sodium-Ion Batteries
Sodium-ion batteries have come and gone out of fashion. But a new burst of enthusiasm for the lithium battery replacement could spell a promising future.
16/12/2024 Reset.org
‘It absolutely took off’: five UK biodiversity success stories
It is easy to get mired in a sense of hopelessness about the biodiversity crisis, but amid the doom and gloom, there are more than a few reasons to remain upbeat. For one thing, research this year underlined that conservation action works.
15/12/2024 The Guardian
'I don't want to end up in a box when I die - I want an eco funeral'
With awareness of our carbon footprints growing all the time, some people striving to lead eco-friendly lives are turning their attention to what happens when they die. “I don’t want my last act on this planet to be a polluting act, if I can help…
15/12/2024 BBC
Vaccines and values: When you’re having a tough conversation about medicine, don’t just pile on evidence − listen to someone’s ‘moral foundations’
Being presented with facts doesn’t do much good if you don’t feel like your core values are respected. That’s especially true when it comes to health care decisions.
12/12/2024 The Conversation
High rises made out of wood? What matters in whether ‘mass timber’ buildings are sustainable
More architects are using wood construction for large buildings. A resource economist argues any increase in demand for wood will push commercial growers to better manage forests.
11/12/2024 The Conversation
Cotton-and-squid-bone sponge can soak up 99.9% of microplastics, scientists say
A sponge made of cotton and squid bone that has absorbed about 99.9% of microplastics in water samples in China could provide an elusive answer to ubiquitous microplastic pollution in water across the globe, a new report suggests.
10/12/2024 The Guardian
A new way of tackling homelessness is showing promise. Will it catch on?
Mexico, Canada and now the UK are among those offering direct financial support to homeless people. The results are encouraging
09/12/2024 Positive News
A farming project in South Africa is helping deaf people build skills and find jobs
In South Africa, where the general unemployment rate is over 32%, deaf people face even steeper hurdles
08/12/2024 The Independent
Sierra Leone begins nationwide rollout of Ebola vaccine a decade after deadly outbreak
Authorities in Sierra Leone on Thursday started a nationwide rollout of the single-dose Ebola vaccine, the first such campaign in West Africa where a deadly outbreak 10 years ago resulted in the death of thousands.
05/12/2024 The Independent
Smart windows could be the next big thing in renewable heating
World energy demand is continuing to soar as cities grow, technology advances and industries develop. Buildings make up about 30%-40% of the total – even more than industry or transport.
04/12/2024 The Conversation
SS Save Our Ship! A new product might just be the secret in saving famous underwater shipwrecks from the elements
Chinese researchers tested their gooey product on an 800-year-old shipwreck found off its south coast
03/12/2024 The Independent
Bendy solar panels to meet energy demand of 20 nuclear reactors
Mass producuction of perovskite solar panels offers path for Japan to supercharge its renewable energy transition
02/12/2024 The Independent
