Dandelion News - April 8-14
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1. The US offshore wind industry finally gets a break
“Five U.S. wind projects continue construction, with some now producing power, as the Trump admin misses a deadline to appeal court decisions letting them proceed. [… L]ast week, the department quietly let the final deadline for appealing the courts’ decisions lapse. […] The lack of appeals likely represents a recognition that the government couldn’t stop the five projects from moving forward[….]”
2. Bactrian camel calf born at the [Whipsnade] Zoo
“[The baby is named after] Sophia Raffles[, who] was the first woman to become a fellow of ZSL in 1826 - making ZSL the first society to admit women in the UK[…. “J]ust like her namesake’s emphasis on access to education, she will be vital for teaching our visitors about the threats facing wild camels, and what people can do to help.” [… ZSL is] supporting conservation efforts in Mongolia, including the Gobi Desert in the south, where it’s believed there are only 450 wild camels.”
3. STEM can be a hostile place for queer kids. Rainbow Robotics is changing the game.
“Rainbow Robotics [is] a student-led initiative funded by a grant from the It Gets Better Project that brings STEM opportunities to queer spaces and teaches inclusion and acceptance in STEM. [...] “There’s been students on our team who not only learn how to stick up for their LGBTQ+ peers, but also learn a lot about themselves and about preconceived notions of queer spaces,” Jarvis says.”
4. 30-year Himalayan project shows power of community-led forest restoration
“[The previously degraded area now] supports rich biodiversity, including more than 160 bird species, more than 100 butterfly species, and many medicinal plants, providing livestock fodder, medicine and livelihoods for the residents of surrounding communities. [...] “The site also maintains all five Western Himalayan oak species strengthening its role as a genetic repository and conservation model for rare and endemic flora,” [a co-author] said.”
5. Person functionally cured of HIV after bone marrow transplant from sibling
“A 63-year-old man has been functionally cured of HIV with a bone marrow transplant [...] from his brother, who has a rare genetic mutation called CCR5Δ32 that confers resistance to HIV-1, the most common type of human immunodeficiency virus. [...] His healthy T cell count soared in the year after the procedure and stayed at healthy levels after he stopped antiretroviral therapy (ART)—the gold standard treatment for HIV—two years later.”
April 1-7 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)
