Good News Headlines 11/27/2023
Image courtesy United Repair Centre
How Refugees Are Helping Amsterdam Become One Of The First Circular Cities
by Oliver Balch, Positive News
Just off the park’s south-western edge, in a nondescript industrial unit, a taste of a new-look Netherlands is unfolding. It is doing so to the sound of Arab pop music, the mechanical hum of sewing machines, and conversations in rudimentary Dutch. Welcome to the United Repair Centre, the latest venture in Amsterdam’s efforts to become one of the world’s first fully circular cities. Set up last September with support from the city government and outdoor clothing brand Patagonia, the centre employs around 20 full-time workers to repair ripped or broken clothing that would otherwise be dumped in the bin.
A Thanksgiving Message From Seven Amazing Native Americans
by Project 562
November is Native American Heritage month. This month is supposedly for our nation to acknowledge indigenous history, tradition, and knowledge. We are supposed to honor the indigenous land upon which we live; we are meant to celebrate peace between nations and cultures. But the real truth is that we are not in a time of peace and “Thanksgiving” is a historical fallacy. I asked seven rad Natives (who have been photographed by Project 562) to share perspectives on Thanksgiving and the current state of our nation. I appreciate their willingness to be honest, to share their knowledge, and all that they do for our communities.
EU Agrees To Ban Exports Of Waste Plastic To Poor Countries
by Ajit Niranjan, The Guardian
The EU has struck a deal to stop ships of waste plastic landing in ports of poor countries. European lawmakers and member states agreed to ban exports of plastic rubbish to countries outside the OECD group of mostly rich countries from the middle of 2026. The deal comes as diplomats meet in Nairobi, Kenya, to hammer out a global treaty on plastic pollution. “The EU will finally assume responsibility for its plastic waste by banning its export to non-OECD countries,” said Pernille Weiss, a Danish member of the European parliament. “Once again, we follow our vision that waste is a resource when it is properly managed, but should not in any case be causing harm to the environment or human health.”
Welcome To The World’s First Zero-Waste Island
by Daniel Fahey, Positive News
I already believe that nowhere else will match the quality of life I experience here in Tilos,” says Emmanouil Antonios Fotaras, one of 745 residents living on the small Greek island, located between Rhodes and Kos. Aged 24, Fotaras has seen Tilos achieve national park designation and accomplish energy self-sufficiency with renewables. Now it has become the world’s first zero-waste island. “I knew that [the Just Go Zero project] could bring many advantages,” Fotaras says about Tilos’ efforts to go waste-free, “but I underestimated the extent of its impact.” The changes have been vast. Before the project began, the island sent 87 per cent of its waste to landfill; now 100 per cent of it is diverted from the dump.
Hemp May Help Solve Native Housing Shortages
by Indian Time, Organic Consumers Association
This perspective is championed by Winona LaDuke, an economist, environmental activist, and entrepreneur. LaDuke, who also serves as the founder and research director of the Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute in Osage, Minn., collaborated with the White Earth Nation in mid-August to construct a hempcrete extension at her hemp and heritage farm. Remarkably, the walls were erected in just four hours, she shared with Tribal Business News. This marked the inaugural hempcrete project in Minnesota. “This project could be an example of what the future looks like,” LaDuke told Tribal Business News. “We put up walls in a single afternoon. Each of the panels weighs like 400 to 500 pounds – a few guys could lift them. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
