A Melbourne Sewage Farm Has Become a Haven for 300 Species of Birds
Every time a toilet in Melbourne flushes, the contents start a long trip from the metro area to a sewage treatment plant that has garnered a mythical reputation among birdwatchers. Following the treatment process, the government allows it to retain certain excess nutrients that cause microbes and insects to flourish—anchoring the food web in an […]
UNESCO Adds an Area the Size of Bolivia to Reserves That Protect 5% of the World’s Land
The United Nations has added an area the size of Bolivia to a network of special land and seascapes with the aim of ensuring they remain places where Man can anchor himself to his national and global ecosystem. Much like the way UNESCO nominates places to become World Heritage Sites, the organization’s Man and Biosphere […]
Huge Camel Carvings Dating Back 12,000 Years Marked Wet Season Oases Like Cultural Road Signs
12,000-year-old engravings of desert animals like the dromedary camel were used by ancient Arabian tribes to mark where water could be found, a new discovery hypothesizes. An international team of archaeologists discovered more than 60 rock art panels containing 176 engravings in three previously unexplored areas: Jebel Arnaan, Jebel Mleiha, and Jebel Misma, along the […]
Over 600 North Korean Refugees Can Tell Their Stories After Public Speaking Classes from US Charity
In South Korea’s capital, Seoul, there are now tens of thousands of North Korean refugees, all living with an intense emotional burden—and a US-founded organization is helping to alleviate it. Freedom Speakers International (FSI) offers tuition-free and individualized mentorship for speaking in English and opportunities to engage with the international community through that most marvelous […]
San Fran Supervisor Goes After Stifling Regulations After Locals’ Dream of a Cafe Goes Up in Steam
After small businesses became frustrated with San Francisco permitting laws, a district supervisor has stood up to try and strike it down. His proposed ordinance—filed after a dozen small business owners reached out to explain they were being harangued by regulations—would remove the “prior use” requirement, as well as those preventing businesses from uniting storefronts […]
Austria and Italy Finish Digging World’s Longest Rail Tunnel–Ready to Reshape Travel Maps
In mid-September, a boring machine defeated the last meter of rock 4,500 feet under the Brenner Pass in the Alps to connect the world’s longest tunnel dug for railroad track. Envisioned as an important connecting vein that will one day see trains running from Helsinki, Finland, to Palermo, Sicily, it will slash commuter times across […]
Determined Scientists Created Only Puffin Colony in the US, and Continue to Protect it Decades Later
For 50 years, the state of Maine has drawn worldwide attention for its efforts to restore a puffin colony, an effort that has brought controversy, hope, and a cottage industry you have to see to believe. Featured recently on the PBS News Hour, it’s a story that begins back in 1973 when a young ornithologist […]
Zero-Emissions Ferryboat to Glide Commuters Up and Down Historic River in European Capital
Lithuania’s capital Vilnius recently debuted a new electric ferryboat for transit up and down the River Neris. Called the Lašiša, it joins a trend of electric ferryboats on the famous rivers and bays of Europe such as the Elbe or the Copenhagen harbor. Tickets can be bought online and through an app for just €3, […]
Innovative New ‘Sponge’ Park Helped Save Historic Atlanta Neighborhood from Flooding
$40 million may seem like a lot of money to the average person, but it’s just a fraction of what municipalities were spending to cleanup and shore-up their cities and towns following Hurricane Helene. For Vine City, Atlanta, $40 million was the cost of a solution to flooding problems that long predate Helene. It bought […]
100,000 New Jobs Will Clean Up the Coastline and Protect Species from Plastic, Overdevelopment
Among all the world’s coastlines, those stretching across central and southern India are among the most vulnerable to erosion. In the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, a program funded by the World Bank aims to create 100,000 jobs that will help protect these sensitive and biodiverse areas for the posterity of fishermen, urbanites, and […]