The joy of whale song and more playgrounds for all

Age-inclusive playgrounds offer play and social benefits not only for the youngest children

The Anna C. Verna Playground in Philadelphia’s Roosevelt Park features seven slides, climbing nets and natural play spaces. But the playground’s main attraction is the 20-person oval “Giant Swing,” the largest swing in North America at 120 feet long and 100 feet wide. It has a rubber tub for babies and a low swing basket for park visitors to rest.

Playgrounds around the world have adopted similar practices. At Tom Lee Park in Memphis, Tennessee, people chat on wide, flat swings that evoke Southern porch swings. In Toronto, a “caregiver swing” lets parents and children swing together. Moscow’s Gorky Park has a giant swing that’s 141 feet wide.

Designers note the importance of creating challenging buildings that encourage problem solving in playful public environments. “We are social animals, and play fosters social connections,” says Philadelphia landscape architect Megan Tararovsky.
source: Bloomberg

Blue whales may be making a comeback in Antarctica

Antarctic blue whales, the largest creatures on Earth, have seen their numbers plummet from 125,000 in the early 20th century to just a few thousand today, but a newly released study finds their calls and songs have increased over time, an encouraging sign that decades-long bans on commercial whaling are working.

Blue whales are also the loudest animals on Earth, with calls louder than a jet engine. The study recorded the whales’ calls between 2006 and 2021 using sonobuoy listening devices in the Southern Ocean.

By analyzing thousands of hours of audio, the scientists heard a significant increase in calls during the study, which could indicate an increase in whale populations. An increase in numbers is just one possible explanation. An increase in the number of calls or a change in their distribution could also explain the finding. The study recommends further use of acoustic surveys because they are cost-effective.
source: Yale Environment 360, Frontiers of Marine Science

EU passes first law on violence against women

The new rules make crimes including female genital mutilation, forced marriage, cyberstalking and online harassment punishable by at least one to five years in prison.

While countries from Italy to the Netherlands have laws against gender-based violence, the broad EU directive now requires all 27 member states to put the EU rules into practice within three years. The EU estimates that around 600,000 women and girls in the bloc have undergone genital mutilation, and 10% of them have experienced some form of online harassment since the age of 15.

Countries disagreed over whether the law should include an EU-wide definition of rape, which was passed without such a clause. The new law also imposes harsher penalties for crimes against children, spouses or former partners, public figures, journalists and human rights advocates.
source: French Media Agency, European Commission, United Nations

UNDP to invest $1 billion in Africa to strengthen startup pipeline

UNDP’s Timbuktu Initiative, centered around 13 university hubs, aims to foster stronger links between African universities and the startup economy, from research to commercialization.

Each Timbuktu UniPod includes a design lab, makerspace, and event area where innovators can better access resources and expertise. In Malawi, entrepreneur Sonia Kachale, who co-founded a platform to simplify banking for financial institutions, said the UniPod is a “prayer” for innovators seeking to “build companies… for our people.”

UniPod hosts 13 countries, from Rwanda to South Sudan. A separate Timbuktu project will support innovation hubs in eight cities, including Lagos, Nigeria, and Cape Town, South Africa.
source: traffic light, United Nations Development Programme

Researchers may have found a way to boost green hydrogen production

Hydrogen fuel is considered a green fuel when renewable electricity is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. When stored in fuel cells, hydrogen can power everything from cars to factories without producing greenhouse gas emissions. But scientists have struggled to produce green hydrogen that can rival fossil fuels.

Iridium is commonly used as a catalyst to split water molecules, but it is also one of the rarest metals. By spreading iridium atoms over manganese oxide, one of the most common compounds in the Earth’s crust, a team in Japan reduced the amount of iridium needed by 95% while maintaining hydrogen production.

Other scientists warned last year that caution was needed because excess hydrogen leaking into the atmosphere could increase methane levels. But Ryuhei Nakamura, the lead scientist working on the new catalyst, said the approach could be “easily transferred to practical applications” and his team is working with industry partners.
source: kingdom, Andlinger Center Ministry of Energy and Environment