Media literacy is coming to the English curriculum, US opioid deaths are falling, and refill shopping is going mainstream, plus more good news
This week’s good news roundup
The perils of fake news were brought into sharp focus this month when misinformation fuelled violent, far-right riots across the UK.
Now, children in England are to be taught how to spot misinformation as part of a planned overhaul of the school curriculum, announced by education secretary Bridget Phillipson. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for setting their own curriculum.
“It’s more important than ever that we give young people the knowledge and skills to be able to challenge what they see online,” Phillipson told The Telegraph. “Our curriculum review will develop plans to embed critical skills in lessons to arm our children against the disinformation, fake news and putrid conspiracy theories awash on social media.”
Responding to the plans, Dawn Alford, executive director of the Society of Editors, said: “The recent far-right riots across the UK have, once again, shone a light on the dangers and damage that can be caused by fake news and misinformation online. We welcome the government’s recognition of the need for urgent action in this area.”
Media literacy already features on the Finnish curriculum, which teaches children how to identify propaganda and fake news.
Image: Roman Kraft
Opioid deaths in the US finally started to fall in 2023, according to new figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most opioid deaths in the US are attributed to the potent synthetic drug fentanyl, which kills around 100,000 Americans annually.
“We have been to false peaks before,” Prof Daniel Ciccarone, who studies the opioid crisis, told Scientific American. “Nevertheless, there are a lot of reasons to be, I wouldn’t say optimistic because the numbers are still very high, but to think that we’re making a turn.”
The reported decline follows investment in treatments, such as the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, and efforts to restrict the supply of fentanyl. Drug testing kits, which tell users when recreational drugs have been laced with fentanyl, may also be helping to prevent deaths.
Some experts warn that the decline could be a blip. One thing that most can agree on, however, is that there’s a long way to go to tackle the crisis.
Image: Arnaud Steckle
Reforestation projects rooted in the needs of communities are more successful overall than those with a single goal, a new study has found.
While that might seem obvious, many such projects – particularly those in developing nations – often have a single focus, for example capturing carbon or protecting species. This, the study found, makes them less effective over a wider area and leads to more compromises.
“Forest restoration policies that integrate multiple environmental and societal outcomes can potentially deliver most of the possible benefits for a given area restored, resulting in the least trade-offs,” the study concluded.
The research chimes with other studies showing that the best way to preserve forests is to give indigenous people control of them.
Image: Luca Bravo
Scientists are developing a new generation of ‘smart’ insulins that could transform the way people with type 1 diabetes manage their condition.
The breakthrough treatments mimic the body’s response to changing blood sugar levels in real-time, reducing the need for frequent injections to just once a week.
This week, those behind experimental ‘glucose-responsive’ insulins were awarded £2.7m to fast-track their development, as part of the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge.
“Glucose-responsive insulins are regarded as the holy grail of insulin as they would come as close to a cure for type 1 diabetes as any drug therapy could,” said Dr Tim Heise, vice-chair of the novel insulins scientific advisory panel for the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge.
“These research projects, if successful, might do no less than heralding a new era in insulin therapy.”
Image: Jane Korsak
Messages of welcome have been delivered to refugees and asylum seekers in the UK following a wave of anti-immigrant unrest by far-right groups.
The letters are part of a ‘love’ campaign by Brighton-based NGO Conversations Over Borders (COB), which asked the public to send messages of “support and solidarity” to people who recently arrived in the UK.
“We wanted to drown out the hate we are seeing with love,” COB founder Colette Batten-Turner told the BBC. “It’s important that wider society sends a message of compassion, solidarity and hope.”
More than 1,000 messages were submitted in the first 24 hours of the campaign. “We knew the loud voices of the racist, far right are a minority here,” said Batten-Turner. “They really don’t represent the majority of people in the UK.”
Image: Natasya Chen
Treating failing eyesight and high cholesterol have been added to the list of lifestyle changes that could reduce the risk of developing dementia.
A major report by the Lancet Commission identified 14 health issues that it said, if tackled, could prevent nearly half of all dementia cases in the world.
Addressing eyesight loss and treating high cholesterol were among the most effective changes to make in mid-life, the report found. Exercising, socialising and quitting smoking were also on the list.
While some experts have cautioned against conclusively linking individual lifestyle choices to dementia risk, a growing body of research appears to show that a healthy lifestyle is associated with a reduced chance of developing dementia.
Image: Ravi Patel
A vast ‘electric superhighway’ is set to distribute renewable energy around the UK.
The Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) project – connecting Peterhead in northeast Scotland with Drax on the east coast of England – will be the UK’s biggest subsea energy transfer project. It’s part of a wider move to modernise the grid for the shift away from fossil fuels.
Although the two 315-mile cables will be able to transfer electricity in both directions, the majority is expected to flow from wind farms in Scotland to England. On days of low wind, electricity will go the other way.
Scotland is already a net-exporter of electricity thanks to its vast offshore wind farms. The new connection is expected to be operational by 2029.
“Not only will EGL2 will play a major role in bolstering energy security and contributing to net zero targets, it will also provide a lasting legacy in local communities,” said Ricky Saez, EGL2 project director.
Image: Shaun Dakin
The rise of refill shops has been one notable success for the UK’s otherwise ailing high streets – and now the concept is going mainstream.
This week, Ocado Retail became the first major supermarket to pilot a reusable packaging scheme for online deliveries. Pasta, rice and washing liquid will be among the products initially offered in refillable vessels at no extra cost to customers.
The pilot is a response to an Ocado survey of more than 2,000 customers. It found that 72% were concerned about the amount of waste generated by their grocery shop.
“Most people understand the [refill] concept and know it works in a physical store, but this trial brings the solution straight to customers’ doors,” said Simon Hinks, Ocado’s product director. “Our customers are already used to giving their bags back to our drivers for recycling – so this is a really sensible next step for us to help our customers reduce single-use plastic.”
Image: Markus Spiske
Proving that rewilding is not just for rural areas, beavers have given birth in London for the first time in four centuries thanks to a reintroduction programme.
In what is being called “a huge advancement in urban rewilding”, the birth of two kits in the capital follows the successful return of beavers to London by the Ealing Beaver Project.
“[Beavers] are an important animal we once lived alongside up and down the country and welcoming them back, even to our towns and cities, is the right thing to do,” said Dr Sean McCormack, chair of Ealing Wildlife Group.
Read the full story here.
Image: Cathy Gilman
Main image: Izusek/iStock
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