Interesting links roundup - Jan 10 2025

Here are some articles from around the web which pertain to sustainability in one way or another

1)      https://reasonstobecheerful.world/green-corridors-medellin-colombia-urban-heat/ (5 min read)

A readable article on how a Colombian city uses urban trees as part of their climate change adaptation program – which could end up saving money for nearby real-estate in reduced air-conditioning and healthcare costs. Something HK could learn from (and which to a certain extent Shenzhen already has).

2)      https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-last-name-skew-grades/  (2 min read)

An interesting read because a very dry topic (the default sort order in which schoolwork is sent to markers) actually has significant real-world impacts. Food for thought: what default processes does your company have that lead to systematic unfairness, or sustainability impacts?

3)      https://roadsandkingdoms.com/2014/king-of-the-dump   (5 min read) A story of aid organizations in Thailand, written in an entertainingly thriller-like style, but which has a few lessons: such as the importance of defining what success looks like and how different people can view achievements differently.

4)      https://conversableeconomist.com/2025/01/07/why-trucks-should-pay-mileage-taxes/ (1 min read) Most sustainability folks I know advocate a “polluter pays” principle. In this article, an economist reviews a particular use-case – trucks and the damage they do to highways.

5)      https://hongkongfp.com/2025/01/09/discovery-of-traces-of-eurasian-otter-off-lantau-island-raises-hopes-for-locally-critically-endangered-species/ potentially happy biodiversity news – signs of Eurasian otters, once believed extinct in HK, in Lantau.