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.