The right to be a society apart, in Ecuador and South Africa
An international court weighed in for the first time on whether a government protected the rights of uncontacted peoples
Some 10,000 people worldwide live in Indigenous groups that voluntarily have little to no contact with the outside world. In March, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered Ecuador to prevent third parties from entering uncontacted peoples’ lands.
The court found that Ecuador violated the rights of the Tagaeri, Taromenane, and Dugakaeri peoples by allowing oil drilling inside Yasuní National Park, where some members of those groups live. Ecuador must also honor a 2023 referendum in which voters chose to halt oil production in the northeastern region, the court said.
Why We Wrote This
Separation is not a quality associated with the well-being of people in communities. But for Indigenous Ecuadorians who choose to live without contact with others, a court said it is a human right to remain undisturbed. And in South Africa, protections for endangered penguins give them more space.
If a project’s impacts are uncertain, “Effective measures must be adopted to prevent serious or irreversible damage, which in this case would be the contact of these isolated populations,” the judges wrote.
Sources: Inside Climate News, The Atlantic, The Guardian
Steel made without CO2 emissions is a step closer to industrial-scale production
Traditional steelmaking emits more than 1.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide for every metric ton of steel. Now a company is improving upon both modern electric-arc and blast furnace manufacturing.
Most virgin steel requires a blast furnace that uses coal to smelt iron ore into iron. At startup Boston Metal, electricity heats the iron ore to about 1,600 degrees Celsius (2,900 degrees Fahrenheit), generating oxygen instead of CO2.
The company has been working since 2013 to improve its technology, advancing from a coffee-cup-size reactor to one that can produce a ton or two of steel in a month. An industrial reactor can make that amount of metal in about a day. The next demonstration plant is scheduled to start operating in 2027.
Source: MIT Technology Review
Germany will implement a pedestrian transport strategy for environmental benefits and quality of life
The government said that trips on foot account for more than 20% of all trips taken in Germany, and 80% of teens and adults enjoy walking, but a 5% decline in walking is also forecast. As such, the government laid out guidelines for planning, funding, and pursuing more efforts to make walking a safer and more attractive option.
In 2023, some 437 pedestrians died on German roads, and almost 30,000 people were injured. Approved before the February national election, the plan aligns with the international Vision Zero goals of zero fatalities and serious injuries in road traffic.
VCD, a sustainable transport organization, said expanding sidewalk networks and enforcing speed limits of 30 kilometers (about 19 miles) per hour in urban areas are most important for improving pedestrian safety.
Sources: Clean Energy Wire, The Progress Playbook, German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport
Court-ordered no-fishing zones pause disputes over how to protect critically endangered penguins
Sardine and anchovy fishing will not be allowed near Robben Island and five other places, home to 76% of the birds. Conservation groups took legal action in March 2024 against the government for inadequate protection, which prompted detailed negotiations with industry representatives.
Conservationists and the fishing industry have long disagreed over the effects of commercial fishing on the African penguin. A century ago, there were over a million breeding pairs, yet now there are fewer than 10,000. The deal allows time to better understand the contribution of factors such as noise pollution. The compromise will apply for 10 years, subject to review after six years.
Sources: Daily Maverick, The Guardian, BBC
Seven biodiversity parks are bringing beautification and climate resilience to New Delhi
Across the capital, more than 2,000 acres of urban forest have inspired the national government to create a program for the rest of the country.
Aravalli Biodiversity Park, once the site of degraded sand mining pits, is now a thriving forest of native plants. A few miles away, Neela Hauz Biodiversity Park is a constructed wetland, no longer a dumping ground for untreated wastewater. Natural aeration and native plants treat polluted water without machinery or electricity.
“When planning cities, we focus on basic infrastructure like roads, drains, and water supply,” said landscape architect Akshay Kaul. “Similarly, biodiversity parks and urban forests should be seen as fundamental green infrastructure.”
Over the past four years, most of India’s states and territories have taken advantage of the environmental ministry’s program and received funding for local urban forest projects.
Source: Mongabay
