27 stories of solutions and progress from August 2024

The start of a new month means a roundup of the most exciting stories from the world of solutions journalism - and we've got 27 of our favourites right here. In this edition, we explore everything from the world's largest solar project to breakthrough lung cancer vaccine trial an … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 7 months ago

NHS 111 offers 24-hour mental health support, Berlin becomes “sponge city”, intergenerational housing

In today’s edition of Squirrel News, we look at England’s move to provide round-the-clock mental health support via a single phone line, the German capital’s innovative approach to water management, and how intergenerational housing is emerging as a promising solution to tackle l … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 7 months ago

Free school lunch in Indonesia, Mexico murder rate plummets, once-extinct birds migrate again

Photo: Yannis H via Unsplash (CC0) Today on Squirrel News, Indonesia’s […] | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 7 months ago

Breakthrough lung cancer vaccine, world’s largest solar precinct, sunscreen shots at restaurants

In this edition of Squirrel News, we're starting the week with some big headlines: doctors are trialing the world's first mRNA vaccine for lung cancer, a huge solar farm project in Australia is moving ahead, and restaurants in the Netherlands are joining the fight against melanom … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 7 months ago

World’s first basic income for rainforest residents, commercial seaweed farm, renewable energy overtakes coal in US

In this week's final edition of Squirrel News, we're exploring whether a £2-a-day basic income could be the key to rainforest conservation, the launch of the first-ever commercial seaweed farm in the North Sea this autumn, and the rise of renewable energy set to surpass coal in t … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 7 months ago

World’s largest restoration project, 50% fewer teen mothers in Thailand, media literacy in English schools

Photo: Laurenz Krabisch via Unsplash (CC0) Today on Squirrel News, […] | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 7 months ago

Brain implant restores ALS patient’s voice, zigzag patterns cooling buildings, India’s silent cycling revolution

Today on Squirrel News, we learn about a brain implant giving unprecedented speech capability to an ALS patient, how zigzag walls can help cool down buildings in a sustainable way, and the impact bicycles have had on schoolgirls in India. | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 7 months ago

Deal to cut prices of popular drugs, free rides for low-income residents, mirror roofs cooling homes

Today on Squirrel News, we learn about the new deal that will make vital drugs more affordable for people in the US, the free transportation programme for low-income residents in Philadelphia, and innovative roofs that cool homes in Sierra Leone. | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 7 months ago

Global school attendance rate rises, ‘smart’ insulin, pink bus for Islamabad female students and teachers

Today on Squirrel News, we learn that millions more children go to school today than in 2000, an innovative type of insulin which could reduce the number of shots diabetics will need to once a week, and a new network of Pink Buses supporting girls' and womens' education and caree … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 7 months ago

Trend reversal in global resource consumption, millions of trees for Kenya, drones dispose trash from Mount Everest

Today on Squirrel News, we learn about how the rising trend in global consumption of natural resources seems to be turning around, an app that encourages Kenyans to plant millions of trees, and drones that will soon keep Mount Everest clean from trash. | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 8 months ago

Meet the editors from our English edition

Dear readers, this summer we’d like you to get to […] | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 8 months ago

30 stories on solutions and progress from July 2024

As we kick off a new month, let's look back at our favorite uplifting news stories from July! This edition covers a range of inspiring events, from breakthrough stem cell therapy advancements to a historic reduction in Indonesian poverty levels to the UK electing its most diverse … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 8 months ago

UK’s £1.5bn green energy boost, wealth tax on the super-rich, and eco-friendly cooling innovations

Photo: Jesse De Meulenaere via Unsplash (CC0) Today on Squirrel […] | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 8 months ago

Plastic bags disappear from UK beaches, global surge in EVs, grassroots housing campaign to beat private equity

We're starting the week on the right foot by covering 2023's 50% increase in electric car adoption, the 80% reduction in plastic bags found on UK beaches since the charge was introduced, and a nonprofit's successful fundraising effort to purchase affordable housing ahead of priva … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 8 months ago

Guinea worm disease nears eradication, study shows impact of guaranteed income, drop in low-wage workers

Photo: United States Mission Geneva/Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0) In this […] | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 8 months ago

Global smoking rates plummet, US announces $4 billion in climate funding, Colombia outlaws bullfighting

In today’s edition of Squirrel News, we're diving into some exciting news: smoking rates around the world are dropping significantly, the EPA has unveiled new projects that are set to cut US greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 1 billion metric tons by 2050, and Colombia's presiden … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 8 months ago

Nasal spray for Alzheimer’s, low-cost mental health care, genetic test to end inherited blindness in dogs

Photo: Ralph via Pixabay (CC0) Today on Squirrel News, we highlight recent […] | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 8 months ago

Renewables to surpass coal, net-zero development in Minnesota, homes made from mushroom waste and weeds

Today on Squirrel News: Renewable energy sources are set to surpass coal by 2025, Minnesota's new green bank is funding a sustainable development with affordable housing, and a project in Namibia is tackling its housing crisis with homes made from mushrooms and weeds. | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 8 months ago

Office sites become social housing, first fully hydrogen-powered ferry, white storks to return to London

Photo: Google Maps Today on Squirrel News, Lloyds Bank converts […] | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 8 months ago

Poverty in Indonesia drops to record low, solar rooftop revolution, the Oxford brewery supporting ex-convicts

This week kicks off with Indonesia seeing its poverty rates hit an all-time low, the UK Labour party's ambitious plan for a 'rooftop revolution' bringing solar power to millions of homes, and an Oxford brewery making a positive impact by training ex-convicts to brew ale and reduc … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 8 months ago

The countries ditching the death penalty, Baltimore’s violent crime drops 36%, Denmark’s culture vitamins

In today's edition of Squirrel News, we're diving into the global increase in the number of countries abolishing the death penalty, Baltimore's impressive 36% drop in violent crime, and Denmark's unique approach to mental health treatment: cultural enrichment. | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 9 months ago

Deforestation in Colombia hits record low, bionic legs for amputees, no more tuition for medical students

Photo: Berend Leupen via Unsplash (CC0) Today on Squirrel News, […] | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 9 months ago

UK elects most diverse parliament in history, Chicago’s bike giveaway, breakthrough in type 1 diabetes

We're kicking off the week at Squirrel News with reports on how the UK elected its most diverse parliament to date, the bike giveaway scheme advancing mobility justice in Chicago, and exciting progress being made in stem cell therapy for type 1 diabetes. | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 9 months ago

Global emotional well-being on the rise, Boston’s murder rate plummets, mandatory speed limiters

In the latest update from Squirrel News as we approach the weekend, we explore a new report claiming global emotional well-being is on the upswing, how Boston has seen its murder rate sharply decline to just four homicides this year, and new legislation mandating the installation … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 9 months ago

Filling the gap for Black teachers, consent laws in Poland and Switzerland, mini saunas for frogs

Photo: LexScope via Unsplash (CC0) Today on Squirrel News, a […] | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 9 months ago

24 stories of progress and solutions: highlights from June

As we kick off a new month, we're happy to share our June roundup! In this special edition, we share the top stories our editors are most excited about - from Vanuatu's bold move to slash plastic pollution to Vermont leading as the first state to hold oil companies accountable fo … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 9 months ago

Genome design breakthrough, Sierra Leone outlaws child marriage, Vatican City goes green

In this week's final edition of Squirrel News, we're exploring how bridge RNAs are offering new opportunities within genome design, Sierra Leone's new legislation outlawing child marriage, and the Pope announcing an ambitious solar plant project in Vatican City. | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 9 months ago

Denmark to impose first climate tax on livestock, Brazil decriminalises marijuana, world’s first epilepsy device implant

Photo: Jochen Czwalina via Unsplash (CC0) Today on Squirrel News, […] | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 9 months ago

Paris sees 40% drop in air pollution, Massachusetts’ millionaire tax, microdosing addiction treatment

We're starting the week at Squirrel News with the announcement that Paris has made a big reduction in air pollution ahead of the Olympics, Massachusetts' new tax targeting individuals earning over a million dollars, and positive outcomes from an unusual approach to opioid addicti … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 9 months ago

The island nation curbing plastic pollution, global call for climate action, lynx returns from brink of extinction

In the final edition before the weekend, we're exploring how the small Pacific island nation of Vanuatu slashed plastic waste from 33% to 2%, new research stating that 80% of the world's population supports stronger climate action, and the return of the European lynx thanks to co … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 9 months ago

Community living for social inclusion, LA’s school cellphone ban, Bogotá’s modern fatherhood school

Today we're highlighting a community initiative bringing together homeless individuals and young people in shared living spaces, LA's upcoming ban on student cellphone use and social media access during school hours, and the Colombian school teaching fathers practical skills that … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 9 months ago

Maryland pardons 175,000 marijuana convictions, EU to restore 20% of land and sea, California’s free grocery store

In today's edition of Squirrel News, we're covering Maryland's decision to forgive 175,000 low-level marijuana possession charges, the EU's ambitious environmental plan to restore 20% of its land and sea by the end of the decade, and the debut of San Francisco's free grocery stor … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 9 months ago

Finland’s teen abortion rate plummets, South Australia moves to ban political donations, ozone layer recovery

In the last edition of Squirrel News for the week, we're exploring Finland’s public health institute reporting a 66% decrease in teenage abortions from 2000 to 2023, a new electoral amendment bill aiming to prohibit electoral donations and gifts in South Australia, and a faster-t … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 10 months ago

US murder rates plummet, AI predicts heart attacks years in advance, wild horses return to the steppes

Photo: Hans Veth via Unsplash (CC0) In today’s edition of Squirrel […] | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 10 months ago

Car-free cities, South Africa legalises cannabis use, the US’s first zero-waste resort town

In today's edition of Squirrel News, we delve into the momentum behind car-free cities, South Africa's legalisation of cannabis use, and "Ocean Shitty": the city taking action to become the US's first zero-waste travel destination. | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 10 months ago

Sign language ambulances, deaths from tetanus plummet, building a wildlife corridor in the world’s largest rainforest

Insert In today's edition of Squirrel News, we're talking about sign language-equipped ambulances reducing barriers to care in England, a significant decline in tetanus-related fatalities, and the construction of a wildlife corridor in the Amazon rainforest. | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 10 months ago

Vermont’s oil companies to foot climate change bill, second-chance gun crime initiative, Chile’s coastal cleanup

In today's edition of Squirrel News, we're exploring Vermont's legislation now compelling fossil fuel companies to bear responsibility for climate change-induced damages, a novel programme empowering Florida's at-risk youth with mentorship, and how frontline medical professionals … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 10 months ago

25 stories of solutions and progress from May 2024

In today’s edition of Squirrel News, our editors have curated 25 standout stories highlighting the most remarkable solutions and progress from May 2024. From a groundbreaking legal victory for small island nations at an international ocean tribunal to a new device helping paraple … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 10 months ago

Bogotá’s car-free Sundays, Colombia bans bullfighting, the Mekong’s green transformation

In this month's last edition of Squirrel News, we delve into the evolution of the car-free movement in Bogotá, a victory for animal rights activists in Colombia, and the Mekong river's eco-friendly makeover. | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 10 months ago

Excise tax to curb gun violence, EU to slash methane emissions, movement to elect more women

Photo: Wil Stewart via Unsplash (CC0) Today on Squirrel News, […] | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 10 months ago

Voluntary rent payments to First Nations communities, CAR receives first malaria vaccines, ending school meal debt

We're starting the week at Squirrel News with stories about Vancouver Island's decision to pay voluntary rent to First Nations communities, the Central African Republic receiving its first shipment of a groundbreaking malaria vaccine, and how a district in Butte, Montana, found a … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 10 months ago

Zero-carbon cement, butterfly forest aids research, first medical school in Cherokee Nation

Photo: Joel Filipe via Unsplash (CC0) Today on Squirrel News, […] | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 10 months ago

Hope for paraplegics, more protection for small island nations, free diapers for Tennessee families

In today’s edition of Squirrel News, a new device helps […] | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 10 months ago

Maternal mortality rate plummets, socially just salaries, curbing gun violence in Chicago

In today's edition of Squirrel News, we're covering groundbreaking progress in maternal mortality rates, how needs-based salaries are changing workplace dynamics for the better, and cognitive behavioural interventions are reducing gun violence rates in Chicago. | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 10 months ago

The school run by kids, free mental health apps, the bison offsetting the CO2 emissions of 43,000 cars

In the last wrap-up of the week from Squirrel News, we delve into a unique educational approach fostering self-governance in Thailand's schoolchildren, the launch of free mental health apps for children in California, and how a herd of 170 bison might hold the key to storing CO2 … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 10 months ago

Antwerp’s free-tree initiative, tackling Amsterdam’s housing crisis, new blueprint for addiction recovery

In the latest edition of Squirrel News, we delve into Antwerp's initiative to distribute 2,000 free trees across the city, a cooperative-led solution to Amsterdam's housing crisis, and Vermont's fresh approach to addiction recovery. | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 11 months ago

#37: Meet a Jew

Prejudices about Jews are still widespread today. Yet many young people in Germany have never consciously met a Jew. The project ‘Meet a Jew’ aims to change this by bringing Jewish volunteers together with school classes and clubs. In this episode, project coordinator Masha expla … | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 11 months ago

Lessons on childhood obesity, US overfishing hits historic low, world’s largest carbon capture facility

Today at Squirrel News, we're talking about the overwhelming success of two local approaches to fighting childhood obesity, new data suggesting that the USA's marine ecosystems are bouncing back from overfishing, and the launch of a biggest-ever CO2-capturing plant in Iceland. | Continue reading


@squirrel-news.net | 11 months ago