This Week’s Wins for Planet and People

Quick Smiles:

• Protected ocean zones are deterring industrial fishing where bans exist.
• A gonorrhoea vaccine rollout could prevent thousands of infections and ease pressure on services.
• Picking up an instrument later in life is linked with better brain health.

New research from the University of Oxford found the public is more willing to sacrifice to tackle climate change than many delegates at the UN Environment Assembly expected, suggesting leaders may be underestimating support for bolder action.

“I hope our research encourages policy officials to be braver and pursue more ambitious climate policies,”

said study co-author Dr Joshua Ettinger.

A pair of studies combining satellite imagery and vessel tracking data found little evidence of industrial fishing inside strictly protected marine areas, while weaker protections saw substantial activity.

“Combined, these two studies lead to a clear conclusion,”

said study lead Jennifer Raynor.

“These technological advances in vessel tracking have the potential to reshape marine law enforcement by significantly reducing the costs of monitoring,”

she added.

In a world first, the vaccine 4CMenB—originally developed against meningitis—has been offered at UK sexual health clinics to those most at risk.

Health officials estimate the programme could prevent as many as 100,000 cases and save millions in treatment costs over the next decade.

“We asked and the government listened,”

said Richard Angell OBE, chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust.

“The potential impact is huge: reducing the burden on sexual health services, avoiding complications the virus can cause, and 100,000 people over the next decade who won’t get gonorrhoea.”

Chinese and EU leaders found common ground on accelerating renewables deployment and reaffirmed their commitment to the Paris agreement as they seek cooperation on clean-energy build-out.

“Green is the defining color of China-EU cooperation,”

they said.

Diplomats from 184 countries have resumed talks on a global plastics treaty at the UN Environment Assembly in Geneva, as campaigners urge stronger action to curb production and pollution.

“We owe it to future generations to secure a treaty that turns the tide on plastic production,”

said Rudy Schulkind of Greenpeace.

Inger Andersen said she had seen a

“surge in diplomacy”

since the Busan showdown and described the current process as offering

“a path to a possible agreement”.

Two separate studies report that learning to play an instrument later in life is associated with improved brain health and may help reduce the risk of dementia, even for people who begin in their seventies.

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