276: The Regenerative City

This week's top stories

Global tuberculosis deaths reach their lowest level on record
A big win for global health; TB is the world's leading infectious cause of death. New data from the WHO says that last year it caused an estimated 1.25 million deaths—down from 1.42 million in 2021 and 1.40 million in 2020, and below the pre-pandemic level of 1.34 million in 2019. That means we saved something like 150,000 lives from this disease last year. WHO

GLP-1 drugs could be one of the most successful medicines in history
First they tackled diabetes, then they took on obesity. Now they're being used for cardiovascular and kidney disease, and tested for Alzheimer’s and addiction. It's still early days, but as GLP-1 receptor agonists become cheaper and easier to use, they promise to dramatically improve the lives of more than a billion people—with profound consequences for industry, the economy and society. The Economist 🗄️

Peace on the horizon for China and India
China and India have reached an agreement on patrolling their disputed border in the Himalayan region, signalling an end to the military standoff that started in 2020. Frontline troops from both sides are working in accordance with recently-reached agreements, and the disengagement process is progressing smoothly. 'Through continuous dialogue, solutions eventually emerge. Al Jazeera

Azores creates the largest MPA in the North Atlantic
The Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal, just protected 287,000 km² of its waters, creating the largest marine protected area in Europe. It gives the Azores’ unique underwater ecosystems vital new protections, shielding deep-sea corals, turtles, dolphins, sharks, manta rays, and one of the world's largest populations of sperm whales from fishing. Reuters

A decline in carbon emissions in China is still in play
When will fossil fuels peak? Maybe sooner than most people think. After an increase in emissions in the first two months of 2024, followed by falling emissions from March to August and an increase in September, China's emissions will need to fall by at least 2% in the last three months of the year to drop below 2023 levels. Carbon Brief

There is a good chance this will happen, due to an ongoing slowdown in industrial power demand growth and the end of the air conditioning season.
Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst, CREA

The world’s doomsday seed vault receives largest-ever deposit
Earlier this month, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault received more than 30,000 new seed samples from 23 depositors across 21 countries, including seven international gene banks. The deposit includes vegetables, legumes, and herbs from Palestine; pearl millet, sorghum, and groundnuts from India; a huge rice sample from the Philippines; and the first-ever seeds from Bolivia and Chad. NYT 🎁

South Asia is nourishing girls and women
Initiatives in eight countries are improving access to nutritious foods, services, and education for 170 million adolescent girls. From doorstep drops of iron and folic acid supplements in Afghanistan to an ‘Anaemia Free India' programme and social safety net services to mothers and underweight women, steps are being taken to help girls develop to their full potential. UNICEF

Huge land restoration initiative makes significant progress
In 2018, The Restoration Initiative was launched to coordinate ecosystem restoration across nine countries in Asia and Africa. It's successfully brought 3,556 km² of land under restoration and placed 7,151 km² under sustainable management and led to the strengthening and adoption of over 62 policies in support of forest and landscape restoration internationally. UNEP

DNA modified to make it store data 350 times faster
Chinese scientists, inspired by moveable type, have drastically sped up DNA data storage by mimicking a natural biological process that drives gene expression, a breakthrough that could lead to durable, do-it-yourself DNA data storage technologies. The allure is immense: A single gram of DNA can store up to 215 PB of data, enough to store 10 million hours of high-definition video. Science

Four Indigenous reserves expanded in Colombian Amazon
The Mocagua, Macedonia, El Vergel, and Zaragoza Indigenous Reserves, contiguous with Colombia’s Amacayacu National Park, have been expanded by a combined total of 1,693 km². They are home to extraordinary wildlife and plant species, including the pygmy marmoset, silver and blue butterflies, and one of the largest species of lotus flowers. Andes Amazon Fund

Here’s what the regenerative cities of tomorrow could look like
This is just so cool. Wired Japan collaborated with urban design studio For Cities to highlight some of the world’s best sustainable urban developments. From using local materials and construction methods to restoring ecosystems, these projects go beyond making green spaces and provide hints of how cities of the future could function—as well as how they will be built.

Hope Is A Verb

Earlier this year, we came across an incredible organisation called Phola, who have created a mobile mental health service to reach communities in Johannesburg that are struggling with gender-based violence, conflict, and poverty. After years on the road, their caravan-turned-clinic reached the end of its run, and thanks to our paying subscribers, we sent them $5,000 to purchase a new one. Their new van is almost ready! Keep an eye out over the next few weeks for an update. 

This week on the podcast we chat with their founder, Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilo, a psychologist and narrative therapist who had the dream to offer mental health services to some of the most disadvantaged townships in Africa. Through the power of storytelling, Ncazelo’s team are meeting people where they are—both physically and culturally. Phola’s mobile caravan has become a beacon of hope for hundreds of thousands of people, and Ncazelo’s cutting-edge methods are being used across the globe. 

Human progress

Public health wins in Kenya, Uganda, Bangladesh, and Tanzania
Earlier this month, over 6.5 million children in Kenya and Uganda were vaccinated against polio, Bangladesh just launched the final phase of its HPV vaccination campaign to protect 6.2 million girls against cervical cancer, and Tanzania is celebrating a reduction in bilharzia infections from historical levels of above 50% to under 2% of the overall population. 

More good health news in Chad, Afghanistan, and Madagascar
Chad has introduced the R21 malaria vaccine in a triple-vaccine rollout for children that includes pneumococcal conjugate and rotavirus vaccines; a new approach to eradicating polio in Afghanistan has resulted in notable improvements in the communities involved; and Madagascar has caught up on vaccination levels after the setbacks of the pandemic.

Global life expectancy is rising again, after the shock of COVID-19
In 2020 and 2021, the pandemic caused an estimated 15 million more deaths globally, but by 2022 average global life expectancy roughly matched the 2019 rate–and in 2023, it reached new highs. This has happened in all world regions. Our World in Data 

Fewer people in Tonga live in poverty
Between 2015 and 2021, the country made significant improvements in living standards and reduced the poverty percentage from 27.4% to 20.6%. Access to basic services rose, with flush toilets present in 90% of households, up from 82% in 2015. Remittances have played an important role in Tonga’s poverty reduction—90% of households received payments in 2021. World Bank

Thailand halves the number of teen mothers in just over a decade
After years of extensive community campaigns on sexual well-being, births to women aged 15-19 years fell to 21 per 1,000 in 2023, down from 53.4 per 1,000 in 2011. The country has set a new goal of less than 15 per 1,000 by 2027. The Nation

A new railway for East Africa
A new electric fast train in Tanzania has linked the capital to the country's commercial hub Dar es Salaam, halving the travel time that the trip takes by road. It’s the first stage in a new network that will span 2,560 km and connect with Burundi, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. BBC

America steps up its humanitarian aid
At the 79^th UN General Assembly, the United States announced nearly $2.1 billion in humanitarian assistance to address the critical needs of vulnerable people in crisis. The targets for the aid include the Sudan; Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank; and Rohingya and Syrian refugees, along with their host communities. US Department of State

A decade of action to end statelessness
Since 2014, the UNHCR has helped more than half a million displaced people acquire citizenship, and at least 22 states have taken action to counter statelessness. Those include Kenya, which has granted nationality to minorities; Kyrgyzstan, which became the world’s first country to resolve all known cases of statelessness; and Sierra Leone, Madagascar, and Liberia, which have granted women the right to confer their nationality on their children.

Environmental victories

New grassroots-led marine protected area in Puerto Rico
After 16 years of grassroots efforts, local communities in northern Puerto Rico are celebrating the creation of a new marine protected area: Jardines Submarinos de Vega Baja y Manatí. The newly-established MPA encompasses 202.7 km² of coastal coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds and is home to more than 14 endangered species, including the Greater Caribbean Manatee. Oceanographic

Community mangrove restoration in Thailand
The Thailand Mangrove Alliance is bringing communities and businesses together across 24 provinces to preserve and rehabilitate mangroves. While grassroots efforts have succeeded in protecting parts of Thailand’s coastline, many state-led ‘mass planting’ projects have failed, highlighting the need for integrating ecological expertise and local livelihoods into mangrove restoration practices. Mongabay

Fastest land mammal in North America makes a comeback
For over a century, livestock fences and other developments around Yellowstone National Park caused the park’s pronghorn population to decline. Following a 15-year programme to remove fencing and create safer road crossings, the population has doubled—and other species are benefiting, too. NPCA

Following a ten-year fishing ban, the Yangtze River is recovering
Biodiversity has increased, carp populations are up fourfold, and overall fish stocks are up by 25.6% since China implemented a ten-year fishing ban along the entire river in 2021. Still a long way to go—total stocks are at just 36.8% of their historic highs, but this shows how quickly nature can recover if we let it. CGTN

Siamese crocodiles are making a slow but hopeful recovery
Once widespread across Southeast Asia, demand for their skins decimated wild populations in the last century, and by the late 1990s, they were thought to be extinct. However, a captive breeding program kept a remote population alive, and today there are about 1,000 Siamese crocodiles in the wild, scattered across Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Indonesia. AP

Good news for one of America’s most polluted rivers
A significant milestone for Cleveland's Cuyahoga River, which was once so polluted it would catch fire. Thanks to decades of restoration, a few dozen lake sturgeon have been released to jump-start a 'positive feedback loop' that will help other species thrive. The next phase of recovery efforts will be the removal of the Gorge Dam, which is scheduled to begin next year. NPR

The programme ‘bringing back nature’ across Europe
The Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme has helped preserve over 2,500 km² of land and sea across 14 restoration landscapes in Europe, protecting over 100 threatened species. Their formula for success? Testing several different approaches at once and involving local communities. Cambridge University

Indigenous nations are rematriating bison to the prairies
Millions of bison once roamed freely from Alaska’s boreal forests to the western grasslands of Mexico, until colonialism nearly wiped them out. Now Indigenous people are bringing them back. Kayla MacInnis, an âpihtawikosisân iskwew, goes on a road trip through the homelands of several Indigenous nations on the US-Canadian border to find out more about reintroduction efforts. Narwhal

The clean energy transition

Solar: an unstoppable force of energy
Science journalist Zoë Schlanger describes solar energy as an 'unstoppable force'. She highlights a growing wave of support for solar power, bolstered by the recent IEA report predicting that solar will become Earth's largest energy source by 2033. 'In a single year, in a single technology, we’re providing as much new electricity as the entirety of global growth the year before.' The Atlantic

BRICS nations wean off fossil fuels
Fossil fuels in the BRICS countries have dropped below half of installed power capacity for the first time ever as the nations—led by China—scale up renewable energy. It's a significant clean energy milestone for growing nations home to roughly half of the world’s population and which account for around half of CO₂ emissions. Global Energy Monitor

Nowhere to go but down for coal in the United States
Coal-fired generation capacity peaked in the US in 2011 and has been steadily falling ever since; this year, its share of generation is expected to be barely over 16%. 'Coal may retain a grip in US politics, but its actual role in the generation system is shrinking annually. It is a trend we believe is irreversible.' IEEFA

New from IEA: 'A single journey by a large container ship filled with solar PV modules can provide the means to generate the same amount of electricity as the natural gas from more than 50 large gas tanker ships or the coal from more than 100 large bulk ships.'

... and, if you take final energy (the electricity from coal) instead of primary energy (the heat in the coal) it's actually 300 times more energy.

Italy's largest insurer shuns laggards of the energy transition 
Generali will no longer provide new cover for 'midstream' oil and gas companies if they fail to have robust energy transition plans. Generali is also introducing new restrictions on its investment portfolio for companies identified as transition laggards. Reuters

Australian environmentalists successfully torpedo monster coal mine
Glencore and Yancoal have abandoned their plans to develop the largest coal mine in New South Wales, Australia, after a groundswell of opposition from community groups, state planning officials, and activists. Environmental assessments estimated the mine would release about 23 million tonnes of direct emissions and 1.2 billion tonnes of indirect emissions over time. Not anymore. The Guardian

US installs 20 nuclear reactors' worth of battery storage in four years
While the tech bros are all getting excited over nuclear energy, in the real world, the equivalent of 20 nuclear reactors' worth of battery storage has been installed in the United States in just the last four years. 'We can leverage that stored energy and dispatch it when we need it.' The Guardian

Battery cell prices reach all-time low 
Global average battery costs reached a record low in September, falling to $66.50/kWh, just shy of a 20% decline this year alone. Batteries aren't just plummeting in price either—they're getting better. A whole new set of cathode, anode, and electrolyte technologies are set to deliver the next generation of batteries before the end of this decade. Buckle up.

EV sales have not fallen or slumped
Despite what the headlines say, global sales of EVs are growing. While growth rates vary by region, and some markets have seen slower growth this year compared to previous years, EV sales continue to trend upward. What is falling is the number of combustion engine vehicles being sold worldwide—down by about a quarter from their peak in 2017. Electrek

Why BYD is probably going to take over the world
If you're still wondering what all the fuss over BYD is, this might help. A deep dive into why China's largest EV maker is set to become the country's most powerful, globally-recognized consumer brand—and in the process, disrupt the automotive sector everywhere. 'Just like when you are using an iPhone, you may not think it’s from a particular country. It’s just part of your life.' Bloomberg 🎁

Scientific discovery

Lost Mayan city accidentally discovered in Mexico jungle
Archaeologists led by a PhD student in New Orleans uncovered the hidden complex, which they have called Valeriana, using Lidar, a technology which enables a laser survey that maps structures buried under vegetation. They believe it is second in density only to Calakmul, thought to be the largest Mayan site in Latin America. BBC

Physicists discover first 'black hole triple'
Physicists at MIT and Caltech have observed a black hole in the act of consuming a small star in a configuration similar to most binary systems. Surprisingly, however, a second star appears to be also circling the black hole, though at a much greater distance. It's the first evidence that a black hole might be born through a gentler, direct collapse. MIT

Claude becomes first major AI model to debut agents
As a rule of thumb, we don't do consumer-facing AI news here (there's plenty of that everywhere else). However, in this case we're making an exception, as it's a pretty seminal moment: the release of an 'agentic'—or tool-using—version of a large language model that can do a range of things on a computer, including search the web, open applications, and input text using the mouse and keyboard. Wired

Boston Dynamics still leagues ahead on humanoid robots
The robot receives as input a list of bin locations to move parts between. There are no prescribed or teleoperated movements; all motions are generated autonomously online. The robot is able to detect and react to changes in the environment and action failures using a combination of vision, force, and proprioceptive sensors.

Machine learning guides researchers to new genetic switches
US epigeneticists have used AI to design thousands of DNA switches (called cis-regulatory elements) that can precisely control the expression of a gene in different cell types, opening the possibility of therapeutic and biomedical purposes. 'This creates the opportunity for us to turn the expression of a gene up or down in just one tissue without affecting the rest of the body.' Broad Institute

RNA editing takes centre stage
RNA editing is 'not a replacement for CRISPR. It’s another weapon against disease'. A growing number of groups are working to refine the technology on multiple fronts: increasing its efficiency and precision, improving ways to deliver the necessary molecules, and curbing side effects. AI is helping—one tool recently uncovered about 70,000 previously-unidentified RNA virus species. Science

Biotech startup begins planting GMO chestnut trees
The sprouts, no higher than our knees, are samples of likely the first genetically modified trees to be considered for federal regulatory approval as a tool for ecological restoration. American Castanea’s founders. . . hope that the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) will be the first tree species ever brought back from functional extinction—but, ideally, not the last. MIT

New powder can remove as much CO₂ from the air as a tree
Materials scientists at UC Berkeley have invented a fluffy yellow powder called COF-999 that is incredibly effective at removing carbon from the air. Its structures are held together by some of the strongest chemical bonds in nature, and attached to the scaffolds are compounds called amines. When air flows through the structures, the amines grab onto carbon dioxide. LA Times

That's it for this edition—no favourite bits of the internet this week because we got distracted and now it's impossible to concentrate on anything except US election news. Hopefully it doesn't happen again next week, but you have to admit—it's hard to look away.

We'll see you then!

With love,

Gus and Amy