In spite of everything, a culture of peace is emerging in all fields of human endeavour
monthly, year 22nd, number 310 – 21st October 2022
Good News Agency carries positive and constructive news from all over the world relating to voluntary work, the work of the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and institutions engaged in improving the quality of life – news that doesn’t “burn out” in the space of a day. It is distributed free of charge through Internet to media and editorial journalists, NGOs, service associations and high schools and colleges around the world.
It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, an educational charity associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information It is a supporter of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace. In the final report of the Decade for a Culture of Peace project (2001-2010) provided to the UN Secretary-General for presentation to the UN General Assembly, Good News Agency is included among the three NGOs that have been playing an active role in the field of Information through Internet.*
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The news are be divided into seven areas of reference:
1. Government and politics
2. Education and teaching
3. Economy, finance and planning
4. Arts of living and relationships
5. Work, science and industry
6. Society and communication
7. Rules, regulations and environment
In this way we intend to cover seven main fields of human life and activities, in which to record and promote, as always, the presence of goodwill in action and the culture of peace and cooperation that are for us the guiding values in these complex times. Each news item you will find in the seven fields will in turn be linked to one in particular of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030 United Nations
SDGs number 1-No Poverty-
Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
SDGs number 2-Zero Hunger
Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
SDGs number 5-Gender Equality
Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
SDGs number 6-Clean Water and Sanitation
Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth
Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
SDGs number 10-Reduced Inequalities
Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
SDGs number 13-Climate Action
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
SDGs number 14- Life below Water
Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
SDGs number 15-Life on Land
Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships to achieve the Goals
Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
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Government and politics – Education and teaching – Economy, finance and planning
Arts of living and relationships – Work, science and industry
Society and communication –Rules, regulations and environment
Three new International Assistance (IA) requests approved by the Bureau of the 17.COM, including the first multinational request
5 October 2022 - On October 4, 2022, the Bureau of the Seventeenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage examined three requests for International Assistance (IA) up to US$100,00. The first multinational IA request, submitted by Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, was approved. It is the result of a six-months collaboration between the nine States Parties, UNESCO Office in San Jose, the Category 2 institute and centre under the auspices of UNESCO (C2C) Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Latin America (CRESPIAL), and the Living Heritage Entity. Two other IA requests were approved for safeguarding projects in Kyrgyzstan and Thailand.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Council adopts EU law on adequate minimum wages
4October 2022 – The Council of the EU today gave its final green light to a directive that will promote the adequacy of statutory minimum wages and thus help to achieve decent working and living conditions for employees in Europe. When people have to penny-pinch because of the energy crisis, this law is a message of hope. Minimum wages and collective wage setting are powerful tools that can be used to ensure that all workers earn salaries that allow for a decent standard of living. The directive establishes procedures for the adequacy of statutory minimum wages, promotes collective bargaining on wage setting and enhances the effective access to minimum wage protection for those workers who are entitled to a minimum wage under national law. (…)
News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth
Boosting health care in Mali – The Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) signs Geneva Call’s Deed of Commitment on the Protection of Medical Care in Armed Conflict.
3 October 2022 – On Friday 30 September 2022, the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) signed the Deed of Commitment on the Protection of Medical Care in Armed Conflict at a closed ceremony convened by Geneva Call under the auspices of the Republic and Canton of Geneva. In the document, CMA formally pledged to respect international humanitarian norms insisting on the protection of “health care personnel, facilities and medical transports, and the wounded and sick,” and to adhere to “the principles of medical ethics.” CMA was created in 2014 as a coalition of political-military movements composed of National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), the High Council for the Unity of Azawad (HCUA) and the Arab Movement of Azawad (MAA), present in Mali in the regions of Timbuktu, Gao, Kidal, Taoudeni, and Ménaka. In 2015, CMA became signatory to the peace and reconciliation accord in Algiers with the Malian government. The signing of the Deed of Commitment on the Protection of Medical Care in Armed Conflict marks a milestone in Geneva Call’s humanitarian dialogue with CMA initiated in Mali since 2018. (…)
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
EU to ban products made using forced labour, risking China anger
14 September 2022 - The European Union said Wednesday it will ban products made from forced labour as China faces rising criticism that the Uyghur people in the Xinjiang region are being forced into slave labour. The plan by Brussels does not specifically mention China but will instead focus on all products made from forced labour -- including those made within the bloc. (…) The proposal will require the ratification by EU member states and the European Parliament before entering into force two years later. (…)
News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth
United Nations – General Assembly – Seventy-sixth session – Agenda Item 3 - Peacebuilding and sustaining peace –
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 8 September 2022: Financing for peacebuilding
12 September 2022 – The General Assembly (…)
6. Urges efforts to fund initiatives that integrate women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in the planning, implementation and reporting of peacebuilding and sustaining peace at all levels, including at the local level, welcomes the progress made by the Peacebuilding Fund in meeting and exceeding the SecretaryGeneral’s targets for investments in support of inclusive and gender-responsive peacebuilding, and encourages other United Nations and non-United Nations funding mechanisms to increase the percentage of peacebuilding funding dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls;
7. Also urges efforts to address existing financing gaps for youth-led initiatives and youth organizations to ensure the full, effective and mea ningful participation of youth in the design, monitoring and implementation of peacebuilding efforts at all levels, and encourages all financing stakeholders to increase coordination and collaboration with youth on financing national priorities.
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N22/587/40/PDF/N2258740.pdf?OpenElement
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Ukraine: 50,000 computers provided to teachers by Google and UNESCO
5 October 2022 - As the global community marks the World Teachers’ Day, UNESCO and Google have begun distributing 50,000 computers to Ukrainian teachers to help them deliver distance learning. Training in digital tools will also be provided to them. As part of this agreement, Google will also provide schools in Ukraine with access to the Chrome Education Upgrade, allowing them to set-up and manage the devices remotely. And is working with local partners to deliver training in online tools to up to 200,000 teachers through a series of workshops and resources. Meanwhile UNESCO will offer full access to its many digital education resources. For seven months, UNESCO has supported the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, by providing its expertise and by mobilizing some 25 partners of its Global Education Coalition, including Google. Many members have already implemented their commitments, including psycho-social counselling for teachers, scholarships for learners, no-cost access to accredited courses, translation of educational content, etc.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
MONDIACULT 2022: States adopt historic Declaration for Culture
30 September 2022 - One hundred-fifty States unanimously adopted an ambitious Declaration for Culture on Friday at the end of a three-day conference convened by UNESCO. The text affirms culture as a “global public good”. It reflects countries’ agreement on a common roadmap to strengthen public policies in this field. In the Declaration, the fruit of ten months of multilateral negotiations led by UNESCO, States affirm for the first time that culture is a “global public good”. Consequently, States call for culture to be included “as a specific objective in its own right” among the next United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The text defines a set of cultural rights that need to be taken into account in public policies, ranging from the social and economic rights of artists to artistic freedom, the right of indigenous communities to safeguard and transmit their ancestral knowledge, and the protection and promotion of cultural and natural heritage. It also calls for substantial regulation of the digital sector, notably of the major platforms, for the benefit of online cultural diversity, artists’ intellectual property rights and fair access to content for all.
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/mondiacult-2022-states-adopt-historic-declaration-culture?hub=701
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Kenya counts the beans to help avert food waste in school meals
(by Martin Karimi)
28 September 2022 - Every bean that ends up on Griffins Ochieng’s plate at Jaribu Primary School in northeastern Kenya can now be traced to a government warehouse where it was first stored. And that’s the idea – that nothing must go to waste in Kenya’s school meals. With the World Food Programme’s (WFP) support, meals are integrated into the government’s National Education Management Information System – an online tool that automates the management of all data and processes in the education sector. It is a powerful example of ways cutting-edge technology can make a tangible difference in people's lives — showcased during the International Day for Universal Access to Information. Educators now have a mobile phone application on their smartphones, whose development was supported by WFP with the backing of the United States Department of Agriculture.(…)
https://www.wfp.org/stories/kenya-counts-beans-help-avert-food-waste-school-meals
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
WFP and the government of Cabo Verde join forces to support school children amidst the socio-economic crisis driven by COVID-19 and the conflict in Ukraine
24 September 2022, Praia – A week after schools reopened in Cabo Verde, the Government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Regional Integration, and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), today, signed an agreement to meet the food and nutrition needs of nearly 90,000 school children through the national school feeding programme. Under a Limited Emergency Operation, WFP will purchase and transport food for school meals. Today, the programme covers 788 schools and supports 89,715 pre-school, primary and secondary students. It has helped drive up enrolment rates in primary schools while providing social protection for the most vulnerable families.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
Network launched for the recognition of higher education qualifications in Africa
20 September 2022 - On 15 September, an important milestone was reached for the recognition of higher education qualifications in Africa with the launch of African Network of National Implementation Structures. The network brings together recognition authorities from the 14 States Parties of the Addis Convention for Africa, with the aim to promote exchange of information, capacity development and peer learning in order to strengthen recognition and academic mobility on the continent. Similar networks already exist in Europe (ENIC/NARIC) and Asia and the Pacific (APNNIC), supporting the implementation of the Lisbon and Tokyo Conventions, respectively.
News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education
USA - United Rentals, USC Athletics Partner on sustainability focused sponsorship
7 October 2022: United Rentals Inc. recently announced a multi-year, sustainability-focused partnership as a sponsor of University of Southern California Athletics. The agreement includes United Rentals being the participating sponsor for USC’s Zero Waste Football Game and the Zero Waste Men’s Basketball Game. As part of the sponsorship, United Rentals will have a strong presence during both football and basketball seasons. Additionally, United Rentals will be providing equipment for use by USC Athletics.
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
USA - Aldi's Drive to Fill Fleet with renewable biomethane fuel
6 October 2022: CNG Fuels, Europe’s largest supplier of renewable biomethane fuel, has added Aldi to its list of clients who are striving for low carbon transport within their heavy goods vehicle (HGV) fleets. The fuel firm has opened its 10thHGV refuelling station in Castleford, West Yorkshire, to keep up with demand, and the new station can refuel 5000 HGVs a day while slashing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 67,500 tonnes a year, it claims. Aldi is the latest major brand to adopt the more sustainable vehicles, joining Royal Mail, Amazon, Waitrose and Warburtons who are already supplied with CNG Fuel’s clean biofuel which offers emissions savings of more than 90 per cent, which can be reported towards reaching UK targets. Aldi is expected to have a total of 30 CNG vehicles in its UK fleet by the end of the year. There is a substantial increase in demand for 100 per cent renewable biomethane within the transport sector, which is the catalyst for greater production both within the UK and internationally,with the number of bio-CNG powered trucks on the road doubling in the last year alone (…)
https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/756646-aldis-drive-fill-fleet-renewable-biomethane-fuel
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
USA - BookSmart24: New App for Environmentally Conscious Travel finds the lowest CO2 Route to the desired destination
3 October 2022: While existing travel websites primarily display the cheapest or fastest travel option, the new BookSmart24 app also finds the most CO2- and emission-efficient variant for the chosen route. The platform enables users to make smart and responsible booking decisions and to realize that traveling in an environmentally conscious manner does not necessarily have to be more expensive.
SmartChoice: CO2-reduced travel does not have to be more expensive
BookSmart24 puts the avoidance of CO2 and other harmful emissions in the foreground. The result is the BookSmart24 SmartChoice: It shows users how to make a comfortable and at the same time environmentally friendly and cost-saving booking decision. Thanks to the clear and simple operation of the app, the end consumer receives information on the environmental impact of his or her journey and also sees at a glance: flying more environmentally conscious does not mean that it has to be much more expensive. SmartChoice prefers routes with the lowest CO2 impact and is constantly developing further: the platform calculates and compares prices, travel duration, and the individual CO2 impact of each route based on proprietary algorithms. SmartChoice prioritizes and recommends the routes with the lowest carbon footprint while ensuring that fares and trip durations remain within an average value expected for the route in question (…)
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
'Earth is our only shareholder': Patagonia overhauls ownership to 'help fight the climate crisis'
(by Michael Holder)
15 September 2022 – (…) Yvon Chouinard, the founder of leading US outdoor brand Patagonia, has transferred his family's ownership of the multi-billion-dollar business into two holding trusts in a bid to permanently enshrine its sustainability values and funnel its profits towards fighting the nature and climate crises. Having been under Chouinard family ownership since it was first founded five decades ago, the activist brand revealed late last night that all its voting stock - which totals two per cent of the stock - has been transferred into the new Patagonia Purpose Trust in order to "create a more permanent legal structure to enshrine Patagonia's purpose and values". The remainder of the non-voting stock - 98 per cent of the business - has been transferred to the Holdfast Collective, which plans to use "every dollar received from Patagonia to protect nature and biodiversity, support thriving communities and fight the environmental crisis". (…)
News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action
HNF Donates $15,000 to “Ana and the Children” Association in Romania
(by Herbalife Nutrition)
7October 2022– In August, the Herbalife Nutrition Foundation (HNF) donated $15,000 to “Ana and the Children” Association, a Casa Herbalife Nutrition partner in Romania, to help provide healthy nutrition and daily meals to the children of the organization. With the support from HNF, “Ana and the Children” Association will be able to provide new children with two hot meals every day, help with homework, emotional support, clothes, school supplies, and much more in the new centers being built. (…) For over six years, HNF and Herbalife Nutrition Romania have united to donate over $190,000 to “Ana and the Children” Association to help support their three day centers in Bucharest, Urlați and Fundulea. (…)
https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/756796-hnf-donates-15000-ana-and-children-association-romania
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
USA - Kingmakers of Oakland aims to improve the lives of young black men
7 October 2022: Growing up in Oakland, Alonzo Henderson didn’t have a lot of teachers that looked like him. As a young Black man, he says he felt isolated and thought the educators around him didn’t understand his experiences or interests. But when he reached Oakland Technical High School, he enrolled in the Manhood Development Program (MDP) specializing in African American male achievement that changed his outlook. Today, Alonzo is the Media, Communications and Technical Assistant for Kingmakers of Oakland, and through the organization he’s working closely with the same MDP program as the one he benefited from. He’s even gone back to visit MDP students at Oakland Technical High School, but this time as a mentor. The Kingmakers of Oakland is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of Black youth in public school systems. Born out of the Oakland Unified School District Office of African American Male Achievement, the organization launched as an independent nonprofit in 2019. Its programs focus on improving curriculum, educational opportunities and shifting problematic narratives. Putting this bold vision into action takes a lot of work. Kingmakers of Oakland holds workshops for youth and educators, organizes college readiness programs such as The Fellowship Initiative, pushes for curriculum changes, and through media programs that include music, film and the arts, helps young people leverage their voices (…)
https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/756806-kingmakers-oakland-aims-improve-lives-young-black-men
News related with SDGs number 10-Reduced Inequalities
ACDI/VOCA Awarded the Food for Progress Jamaica Spices Project by USDA
3October 2022 – ACDI/VOCA is pleased to announce the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded the organization with the Food for Progress Jamaica Spices (JaSPICE) Project. As a five-year program, JaSPICE will support Jamaica’s goal of revitalizing the spice sector. The award comes as part of the USDA’s $178-million investment in seven international development projects on four continents to support US government priorities, such as promoting climate-smart agriculture and facilitating trade. JaSPICE will take place under the Food for Progress Program, designed for USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service to partner with NGOs and foreign governments on projects in developing countries. To achieve this, ACDI/VOCA will incorporate market systems strengthening strategies (…) to increase the productivity, trade, and environmental resilience of spice crops. While promoting climate-smart production, the project will boost processing and export capacity through a systems-based approach. JaSPICE will rely on ACDI/VOCA’s established partnerships in the country with public sector stakeholders, anchor firms, micro and small- and medium-sized enterprises, and farmer-based organizations. To create a more diverse and vibrant spice sector, the project will engage 7,500 individuals, including women, youth, and other marginalized populations. (…)
News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth
UNESCO funds 7 projects to support artists in Ukraine
20 September 2022 - UNESCO and the Ukrainian NGO Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) have come together to support 7 projects to encourage the continuation of artistic creation and access to cultural life in Ukraine. Selected by MOCA, the projects will benefit from a total of US$ 100,000 in funding from the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund. The projects, which cover animation, open cultural space creation, audiovisual installation and exhibitions, aim to reconnect artists with their audiences during the war. 10 additional projects are currently under consideration for funding in the near future.
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-funds-7-projects-support-artists-ukraine?hub=701
News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
MIT engineers build a battery-free, wireless underwater camera
(by Adam Zewe)
27 September 2022 – (…) MIT researchers have taken a major step to overcome this problem by developing a battery-free, wireless underwater camera that is about 100,000 times more energy-efficient than other undersea cameras. The device takes color photos, even in dark underwater environments, and transmits image data wirelessly through the water. The autonomous camera is powered by sound. It converts mechanical energy from sound waves traveling through water into electrical energy that powers its imaging and communications equipment. After capturing and encoding image data, the camera also uses sound waves to transmit data to a receiver that reconstructs the image. Because it doesn't need a power source, the camera could run for weeks on end before retrieval, enabling scientists to search remote parts of the ocean for new species. It could also be used to capture images of ocean pollution or monitor the health and growth of fish raised in aquaculture farms. (…)
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Seed Balls promote biodiversity after forest fires
(by Rebecca Coons)
27 September 2022 - In Spain, a group of design students has conceived a novel method of restoring diversity following forest fires—hanging biodegradable balls containing seeds, which fall to the forest floor or are eaten by birds and other animals and carried elsewhere for germination. (…) The balls themselves are made of dough, so they are either eaten or degrade. (…)
News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land
A wave of technologies uses Nature to fight the climate crisis
(by Carolyn Fortuna)
22 September 2022 - Innovative ventures in the newly-emerging category of “Nature Tech” are focused explicitly on accelerating nature’s natural ability to regenerate. Considering an estimated $44 trillion of economic value relies on nature, these investments are increasingly seen as sound propositions, both financially and for the sake of the planet. Drone technologies for reforestation. Satellite and eDNA data for monitoring biodiversity and natural capital. Blockchain for transparent carbon transactions. Increased processing power, better algorithms, machine learning, and widely available data. A wave of technologies is accelerating natural climate solutions, and experts say that, together, they can provide around one-third of the cost effective climate mitigation needed between now and 2030 to achieve the 1.5ºC target of the UN Climate Paris agreement. (…)
https://cleantechnica.com/2022/09/22/a-wave-of-technologies-uses-nature-to-fight-the-climate-crisis/
News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action
OFFICE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY & RENEWABLE ENERGY
EERE Success story—innovative water turbines allow more fish to pass safely through hydropower dams
16 September 2022 - "First, do no harm" is a phrase associated with health care professionals, but it also applies to sustainability practices. Clean energy deployment is as much about reducing harm (pollution) as it is about reducing costs, and when it comes to hydropower which provides nearly one-third of renewable electricity generation in the United States and is growing a key area of concern is the safety of ecosystems and species, especially fish. Natel Energy developed a solution validated by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to keep fish safe while supporting the growth of hydropower, which increases the reliability and resilience of the nation's power grid. With nearly $9 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) awarded across seven programs over eight years, Natel created its Restoration Hydro Turbine (RHT), an innovative technology designed to make it easier for fish to navigate through hydropower facilities without getting hurt. (…)
News related with SDGs number 14- Life below Water
Citing a fivefold increase in weather-related disasters, a new UN report urges more ambitious climate goals
(by Laura Baisas)
14 September 2022 – (…) A new multi-agency report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has a stark and dire warning for the entire planet: we are heading in the wrong direction on climate change. “The science is clear. Urgent action is needed to mitigate emissions and adapt to the changing climate,” says the report. The 2022 United In Science report published on Tuesday puts a focus on the gap between aspirations, promises, and the reality of what is really happening. The report warns that without significantly more ambitious action, the socioeconomic and physical impacts of man-made climate change will become increasingly devastating. These ambitious actions include civic investment like climate-inclusive city planning in urban areas and developing better Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) that allow governments and communities to better respond to weather events. The most ambitious action proposed is net-negative greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. (…)
https://www.popsci.com/environment/climate-change-report-wrong-direction/
News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action
USA - Arrow Electronics hosts cycling challenge to raise funds for Martin House Children's Hospice
6 October 2022: For the second year in a row, Arrow Electronics employees in the United Kingdom raised funds for Martin House Children’s Hospice. A team of 28 completed the Great Yorkshire Cycle, a challenging 150 miles with a 4,000-foot vertical climb, along the county’s breath-taking scenery.
Martin House supports over 400 families and 150 bereaved families at no cost. They focus on babies, children and youth with life-limiting conditions across North, West and East Yorkshire. Their support services include bereavement support, antenatal and neonatal support, and lodging, offering the opportunity for the family to spend quality time together. The team raised additional funds in late September as they faced the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The route is 24 miles and includes 5200 feet of ascent in under 12 hours.
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
Council adopts EU law on adequate minimum wages
4October2022 – The Council of the EU today gave its final green light to a directive that will promote the adequacy of statutory minimum wages and thus help to achieve decent working and living conditions for employees in Europe. When people have to penny-pinch because of the energy crisis, this law is a message of hope. Minimum wages and collective wage setting are powerful tools that can be used to ensure that all workers earn salaries that allow for a decent standard of living. The directive establishes procedures for the adequacy of statutory minimum wages, promotes collective bargaining on wage setting and enhances the effective access to minimum wage protection for those workers who are entitled to a minimum wage under national law. (…)
News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth
Why you should write that thank you note
An attitude of gratitude may relieve stress, which in turn may lead to better health.
(by Richard Gunderman)
23September 2022 – Gratitude may be more beneficial than we commonly suppose. One recent study asked subjects to write a note of thanks to someone and then estimate how surprised and happy the recipient would feel—an impact that they consistently underestimated. Another study assessed the health benefits of writing thank you notes. The researchers found that writing as few as three weekly thank you notes over the course of three weeks improved life satisfaction, increased happy feelings, and reduced symptoms of depression. While this research into gratitude is relatively new, the principles involved are anything but. Students of mine in a political philosophy course at Indiana University are reading Daniel Defoe’s 300-year-old Robinson Crusoe, often regarded as the first novel published in English. Marooned alone on an unknown island with no apparent prospect of rescue or escape, Crusoe has much to lament. But instead of giving in to despair, he makes a list of things for which he is grateful, including the fact that he is the shipwreck’s sole survivor and has been able to salvage many useful items from the wreckage. Defoe’s masterpiece, which is often ranked as one of the world’s greatest novels, provides a portrait of gratitude in action that is as timely and relevant today as it has ever been. It is also one with which contemporary psychology and medicine are just beginning to catch up. Simply put, for most of us, it is far more helpful to focus on the things in life for which we can express gratitude than those that incline us toward resentment and lamentation. (…)
https://www.yesmagazine.org/health-happiness/2022/09/23/gratitude-benefits
News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being
CSE lays down roadmap for making Indian cities garbage-free
15 September 2022- New Delhi: “The term ‘legacy waste’ has received close attention in the wake of Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 2.0 which aims to make Indian cities “garbage-free”.The Mission mandates that cities in India should clear legacy waste sites, reclaim the land, and prevent more waste from reaching dumpsites – with 1,300 million tonne of legacy waste lying in more than 3,000 dumpsites in the country, it is an onerous, but doable, task,” said Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), here today. She was speaking at a national symposium organised by CSE on legacy waste management and dumpsite remediation. Participants at the symposium, who included waste management practitioners, regulators, government functionaries, scientists, experts and industry representatives, were also addressed by the symposium’s chief guest, Roopa Mishra, joint secretary, Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), among others. (…)
https://www.cseindia.org/cse-lays-down-roadmap-for-making-indian-cities-garbage-free-11421
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
Rules, regulations and environment
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WETEX and DSS 2022 witness the launch of new technologies in digital transformation & smart sustainable cities
28 September 2022 - Dubai, UAE: The 24th Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) and Dubai Solar Show (DSS) will host a number of the world’s leading companies in the field of digital transformation, smart and sustainable cities. (…) The exhibition is held under the theme ‘At the Forefront of Sustainability’, with the participation of 1,750 companies from 55 countries. The exhibition includes 20 international pavilions and spreads over 62,513 square metres. The exhibition witnesses the launch of several new technologies that support the acceleration of digital transformation and the use of environmentally friendly technologies. Participating companies seek to benefit from the ideal opportunities offered by the exhibition to expand their business and launch new offices and branches in the UAE and the region. (…)
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
University of Houston researchers advance hydrogen production from water
(by Meghan Sapp)
27 September 2022 - Now researchers are reporting a significant advance, a two-electrode catalyst that relies on one compound to efficiently produce hydrogen and oxygen from both seawater and freshwater. In Texas, hydrogen has drawn attention in recent years as a potential source of clean energy because it burns without producing climate-damaging emissions. However, traditional hydrogen production methods have a substantial carbon footprint, and cleaner methods are expensive and technically complex. Now researchers are reporting a significant advance, a two-electrode catalyst that relies on one compound to efficiently produce hydrogen and oxygen from both seawater and freshwater.
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
From Scotland to Sweden: how smart cities are helping residents save energy
26 September 2022 - The university town of Umeå, in northern Sweden, is almost completely dark in winter. Encouraging residents to take public transport on cold, gloomy mornings requires some persuasion, but the city is more insightful than most about the needs of the people living there. After decades of applying a gendered lens to its travel surveys, the city knows that if everyone travelled like women, it would already have reached its sustainable transport goal for 2050. A bus stop was built with individual wooden pods to help women feel safer in public spaces. (…)
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
Rooftop solar cells can be a boon for water conservation too
22 September 2022 - Electricity-generating rooftop solar cells not only save on planet-warming carbon emissions, they also save a significant amount of water. Water consumption is tightly bound to energy use, because without water we cannot mine, drill, frack, or cool thermoelectric and nuclear plants. A given household may save on average 16,200 gallons of water per year by installing rooftop solar. (…)
News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production
Decarbonisation through digitalisation: The key role of smart city districts in boosting energy efficiency
21 September 2022 - Efficiency is key, especially in the building sector. Buildings account for 40% of global energy consumption. But the average building still wastes up to 50% of the energy it consumes. Equipping or retrofitting a building with digitalised, networked and intelligent systems can reduce its ecological footprint by up to 80%. Efficiency is more than modern insulation and state-of-the-art heating systems. We need smart building technologies and efficient building operations if we are going to move the needle on decarbonisation, especially in brownfield applications.
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
The evolving nature of European smart cities: from smart energy to sustainability
19 September 2022 - The nature of smart cities in Europe today is one of constant adaptation and evolution. “In a smart city everything and everyone is talking to each other all the time,” says Carina Aschan, Umeå’s (Sweden) Coordinator for the H2020 project RUGGEDISED. Alongside lighthouse cities Glasgow (Scotland) and Rotterdam (The Netherlands), Umeå has spent six years developing innovative solutions to accelerate the smart city model across Europe. The RUGGEDISED cities’ steps toward sustainable, smart energy management helped secure their selection as part of the EU Mission for 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030 - an organic continuation of their smart city journey. Now, as they transition from smart city innovators to climate-neutral pioneers, these three cities are able to share their experience to support others hoping to follow in their footsteps. In fact, the replication of their smart solutions has already begun in fellow project cities Parma (Italy) (also selected for the Cities Mission), Brno (Czech Republic) and Gdańsk (Poland). (…)
https://www.sustaineurope.com/the-evolving-nature-of-european-smart-cities-20220919.html
News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities
University of Houston researchers advance hydrogen production from water
(by Meghan Sapp)
27 September 2022 - Now researchers are reporting a significant advance, a two-electrode catalyst that relies on one compound to efficiently produce hydrogen and oxygen from both seawater and freshwater. In Texas, hydrogen has drawn attention in recent years as a potential source of clean energy because it burns without producing climate-damaging emissions. However, traditional hydrogen production methods have a substantial carbon footprint, and cleaner methods are expensive and technically complex. Now researchers are reporting a significant advance, a two-electrode catalyst that relies on one compound to efficiently produce hydrogen and oxygen from both seawater and freshwater.
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
EUROPEAN COMMISSION - In focus: Solar energy – harnessing the power of the sun
14 September 2022 - Solar power is a cheap, clean, modular and flexible energy source. It is currently one of the cheapest renewable energies on the market and the most accessible one for European households. In 2020, 5.2% of the EU's total electricity production came from solar energy. Based on current market trends, it has the potential to meet up to 20% of the EU's electricity demand by 2040. As stated in the European Green Deal and the REPowerEU plan, a further deployment of solar energy installations is an essential step in the EU's transition towards clean energy and climate neutrality. Moreover, increasing its uptake reduces our dependence on imported fossil fuels. (…)
News related with SDGs number 13-Climate Action
Rolls-Royce prepares to roll out low carbon ship engines from 2023
13 September 2022 - New engines could reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90 per cent when run on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil. Rolls-Royce has announced that its Series 2000 and Series 4000 mtu marine diesel engines have been approved for use with sustainable fuels from 2023, an achievement which the engineering giant hailed as a major "milestone on the road to climate-neutral shipping". (…)
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4056236/rolls-royce-prepares-roll-low-carbon-ship-engines-2023
News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
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