Court verdict aims to protect Indigenous land rights
After nearly 20 years, the fight for human justice prevailed when an international court ruled that Guatemala violated Indigenous rights. By permitting a massive nickel mine, the government exploited the tribal lands, where members of the Q’eqchi’ community have lived since the 1800s.
Over the course of its operation, the site caused turmoil through fatal violence and bribery accusations. Luckily, this monumental step put the power back into the hands of locals. All mining activities came to halt.
This landmark verdict will bleed into any future decisions related to the land rights of Indigenous communities. With the inevitable transition to renewables, the demand for select minerals will skyrocket. Let’s hope this advancement helps ease potential conflicts.
Dive deeper into the history of this conflict, its landmark verdict, and other related conflicts on the Associated Press.
Environmental controversy surrounds SpaceX Starship launches
Following a recent unsuccessful Starship launch that resulted in an explosion, a group of environmental organizations have united against SpaceX's lack of concern for essential wildlife habitats. Their complaint accuses The Federal Aviation Administration of failure to assess the environmental impact of the first Starship launch before granting a revised license for the second.
Aside from the debris from the explosion that scattered into the environment, this November's event caused damage to the tidal flat habitats as hundreds of spectators trampled the sensitive habitats. This prompted a renewed claim over the situation.
"SpaceX’s Boca Chica launch site is surrounded by state parks and national wildlife refuge lands and important habitat for imperiled wildlife, including piping plovers, northern aplomado falcons, Gulf Coast jaguarundi, ocelots and the critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle," stated The Center for Biological Diversity, a group involved in the complaint.
According to the environmental groups, SpaceX, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, was allowed to bypass important environmental reviews through political and financial influence. Under a $3 billion contract with NASA, the company will develop a new Starship spacecraft to ferry astronauts from a lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon.
Learn more about the SpaceX controversy on USA Today.
Hugo Boss further invests in the planet
In the spirit of ´For A BOLD & BETTER FUTURE,` Hugo Boss strengthens its commitment to their sustainability strategy with an sizable investment in a climate-first venture capital fund. This German fashion giant is the first to invest in this enterprise by the name of Collateral Good Ventures.
”The partnership with Collateral Good perfectly complements our sustainability strategy “For a bold and better future”, which strives for a planet free of waste and pollution,” says Daniel Grieder, Chief Executive Officer of HUGO BOSS. “Through this new form of investment, we will look for new solutions to target areas such as increasing circularity, using only nature-positive materials, eliminating microplastic pollution, and achieving zero emissions.”
Hugo Boss will invest 10 percent of Collateral Good’s EUR 100 million target. This fund will support companies that develop innovative solutions across the entire supply chain over the next five years. Examples include upcycling raw materials and preventing microplastic pollution.
Read more about their commitment to this sustainable fund on The Fashion Network.
‘Lost’ golden mole sniffed out by border collie
After an 80-year hiatus, the De Winton’s golden mole reemerges during a hunt for the lost species in the drylands of the Northern Cape in Africa. Able to detect vibrations from above, this mysterious mole can forgo detection by dashing through their underground tunnels.
Last detected in 1937, this blind mole secured a top spot in the 2017 Global Wildlife Conservation’s Search for Lost Species initiative.
Thanks to an innovative environmental DNA (eDNA) technique, the scientists tested over a hundred sand samples for trace amounts of skin cells, hair, blood, and other DNA sources. Then, their partner-in-crime, a well-trained border collie named Jessie, searched for their scent beneath the sand dunes.
Although the lost species has been detected, conservationists remain on the lookout to secure a head count of the remaining mole population. Their habitat is still threatened by the encroachment by diamond mines.
This discovery not only located a critical endangered species, but also tapped into a new frontier to search for these lost species. This revolutionary approach has the potential to uncover numerous hidden wonders that are yet to be discovered.
Find out more about this innovation to help find lost species, such as the De Winton’s golden mole, on Euro News.
Innovative fruit tree project blooms in Hawaii
Along the legendary Kahekili Highway in Hawaii, a group of dedicated volunteers spent three weeks pulling invasive haole koa trees and guinea grass and planting fruit trees in their place. Seventy saplings now line the road for the first time.
Native to the tropical island, the chosen fruit trees, including ulu and mountain apple, hold a special significance to Indigenous culture. The new trees will take 3 to 5 years to bear fruit.
“We’re gonna feed people but the goal with this is to be the seed,” said State Sen. Brenton Awa to Hawaii News Now. This is the seed of change.
To reimagine Hawaii’s food supply, there have been many grassroot efforts, rooted in sustainability. All supplies and equipment were donated to the project.
Learn more about this sustainable project on Hawaii News Now.
