The Squirrel News Podcast Ed Crasnick, Jonathan Widder

When thinking about global development, toilets are not the first thing that comes to mind. But facilitating access to toilets for everyone has surprising benefits for health, nutrition, safety, education and the economy. In this episode, Sarika Saluja, General Manager of the World Toilet Organisation, explains why universal access to toilets is more important than we'd think, why even governments are not sufficiently aware of that and how the situation has been improving over the last years.

Hosted by Ed Crasnick and Jonathan Widder; edited by Mathias Warzecha

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Stories discussed

Half of India couldn’t access a toilet 5 years ago. Modi built 110M latrines – but will people use them? CNN, https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/05/asia/india-modi-open-defecation-free-intl-hnk-scli/index.html

World Toilet Organisation - Website: https://worldtoilet.org/

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A popular saying goes: “nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come,” and the four-day work week (without any salary cuts) seems to be exactly such an idea. More and more companies around the globe are introducing it. In the UK, the world's largest trial so far has just ended with positive outcomes regarding health, productivity, revenues, job satisfaction and more. In this episode, Dale Whelehan, a behavioural scientist and the new CEO of the NGO 4 Day Week Global, tells us why he wasn't surprised about the results and how the positive outcomes are interconnected.


Hosted by Ed Crasnick and Jonathan Widder; edited by Mathias Warzecha

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Stories discussed

Four-day week: ‘major breakthrough’ as most UK firms in trial extend changes, The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/feb/21/four-day-week-uk-trial-success-pattern

A hundred UK companies sign up for four-day week with no loss of pay, The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/nov/27/a-hundred-uk-companies-sign-up-for-four-day-week-with-no-loss-of-pay

Four-day week 'an overwhelming success' in Iceland, BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57724779

4 Day Week Global Websit: https://www.4dayweek.com/

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Squirrel News is a free, curated news service. Check out our website to find our more, download our app or subscribe to our newsletter: https://squirrel-news.net/

Please donate now to help us continue our work: https://squirrel-news.net/support-us/

What can citizens do to contribute to halt global warming? Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell set out their plan to turn their London street into a community solar power station. In this episode, Dan tells us why they use art and filmmaking to promote their project, how they crowdfunded the necessary money and how the couple is inspiring more and more neighbourhoods and public institutions to follow their model.

Hosted by Ed Crasnick and Jonathan Widder; edited by Nicolas Antochewicz.

Photo: Peter Searle

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Links

The ‘solar punks’ turning their London street into a community power station, Positive News: https://www.positive.news/society/the-solar-punks-building-a-london-power-station/

Power to the people: the neighbours turning their London street into a solar power station, The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/18/power-to-the-people-the-neighbours-turning-their-london-street-into-a-solar-power-station

Film „We the Power“: https://www.patagonia.com/stories/we-the-power/video-97465.html

Project website: https://www.power.film/

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Squirrel News is a free, curated news service. Check out our website to find our more, download our app or subscribe to our newsletter: https://squirrel-news.net/

Please donate now to help us continue our work: https://squirrel-news.net/support-us/

Classical reparations may be a good idea, but financially such one-off payments are not very sustainable. That's why a congregation from the Bay Area came up with another idea and introduced a zero-interest loan programme for Black homebuyers. In our new episode, Susan Russell from the Black Wealth Builders Fund explains to us how it works and how it can drive change in the future.

Hosted by Ed Crasnick and Jonathan Widder; edited by Leon Wolf.

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Stories discussed

‘This is not charity’: A predominantly white congregation attempts reparations, Prism: https://prismreports.org/2022/12/29/congregation-attempts-reparations/

Black Wealth Builders Fund Website: https://www.arlingtoncommunitychurchucc.org/bwb

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Squirrel News is a free, curated news service. Check out our website to find our more, download our app or subscribe to our newsletter: https://squirrel-news.net/

Please donate now to help us continue our work: https://squirrel-news.net/support-us/

Not long ago, nature was our natural environment. Nowadays, more and more children grow up in cities without much contact to trees, hills, meadows and animals. For kids from low-income families it can be even more difficult to spend time outside their towns. And sometimes transport poverty can even prevent necessary hospital visits. San Francisco based non-profit Yoots has taken up the challenge to connect these children with the outside natural world. In our new episode, Yoots founder Craig Flax tells us how they do that and why free public transport would be a good help, but not enough.

Hosted by Ed Crasnick and Jonathan Widder; edited by Thomas Barth.

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Links:

How A Non-Profit Transport Organization is Connecting Today’s Youth with the World, Sengerio: https://www.sengerio.com/blog/how-yoots-is-connecting-todays-youth/

Yoots Website

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Squirrel News is a free, curated news service. Check out our website to find our more, download our app or subscribe to our newsletter: https://squirrel-news.net/

Please donate now to help us continue our work: https://squirrel-news.net/support-us/

Millions of American families depend on food banks, but why until recently has nobody come up with a better solution? Dion Dawson realised that something is wrong with food banks when he had to wait in the rain with his family for hours only to obtain expiring fruits and some unlabeled can goods. Today he's the founder of Dion's Chicago Dream, a non-profit that delivers free healthful, nutritious food to families in need – an approach that solves multiple problems at once. In our new episode, Dion talks about the advantages of his programme and explains why some people need good food, but not recipes.

Hosted by Ed Crasnick and Jonathan Widder; edited by Thomas Barth

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Links:

Dion's Chiago Dream Website: https://dionschicagodream.com/

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Squirrel News is a free, curated news service. Check out our website to find our more, download our app or subscribe to our newsletter: https://squirrel-news.net/

Please donate now to help us continue our work: https://squirrel-news.net/support-us/