American fans are becoming more accepting when athletes talk about their mental health
It is estimated that one-third of all elite athletes suffer from mental health problems such as depression, but many fear rejection from their fans, colleagues and sponsors if they talk about their problems.
In a 2022 study, researchers analyzed social media posts reacting to tennis star Naomi Osaka’s decision to withdraw from the 2021 French Open due to mental health issues. They found that 51% of posts supported her decision, while only 19% were negative. Recently, a study found that fans were just as positive toward athletes who took time off to address mental health issues as those who did so because of physical injuries.
Why we wrote this
Our progress review is seeing a growing recognition that everyone, from athletes to people with disabilities, is entitled to support. Sports fans are supporting stars to look after their mental health. And formal venues – from ballet stages to classical concert halls – are becoming less stuffy so more people can enjoy sport.
The stories of elite athletes “have helped the public realize that these admired athletes are just as vulnerable to mental illness as anyone else,” wrote University of Michigan professor Dae Hee Kwak. (Read more about how Olympians are advocating for broader public discussion and support of athletes’ mental health here.)
Sources: The Conversation, McLean Hospital
To protect animals bred for food production, the British Parliament bans the export of live animals
Live farm animals destined for slaughter are often transported over long distances, subjecting them to stress, overcrowding and dehydration. European Union rules had prevented the UK from imposing a blanket ban. The law, introduced by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government, does not apply to Northern Ireland due to trade agreements following the country’s exit from the EU.
Although only one British port allowed the export of live animals in 2012, the new legislation is the culmination of almost 50 years of activism. In 1995, activists blocked sea and air routes to stop exports; violent protests rocked the small English town of Brightlingsea for ten months. Almost 40 million animals have been exported from the UK since 1960.
This year, Australia began a four-year gradual restriction on the live export of sheep by sea.
Sources: Agence France-Presse, The Humane Society of the United States, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
In Africa, solar energy is becoming increasingly independent of public utilities
Around 600 million people on the continent, almost all of them in sub-Saharan Africa, have no access to electricity.
But in 2023, a record 3.7 gigawatts of solar capacity was added in Africa. While South Africa is notorious for rolling blackouts, or “load shedding,” the country is leading the new development, increasing its solar capacity from 2.8 gigawatts to 7.8 gigawatts in two years. The solar boom is being driven in part by a sustained fall in solar panel prices and the expansion of “minigrids” owned by private companies.
Minigrids also create jobs: In Kenya, such systems employ six times as many people as the largest power utility, and in Nigeria they have created almost as many jobs as the oil and gas industry. In April, the World Bank and the African Development Bank announced a project to expand access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa to 300 million people by 2030.
Sources: The Economist, Africa Solar Industry Association
Thai authorities are using satellite and drone data to help farmers decide when it is safest to burn fields
In a compromise between strict fire bans and the fires that have at times made Chiang Mai the most polluted city in the world, local authorities are encouraging the use of a system designed to provide some degree of environmental control without endangering livelihoods.
The need for this balance led to the development of FireD, an app that allows farmers to submit fire applications. Local atmospheric conditions are used to decide on a case-by-case basis whether a fire will have too great an impact on pollution levels. In the last fire season, the number of days with dangerous levels of particulate matter fell by 24%.
Because some farmers do not have internet access, they must submit written requests rather than using the specially developed app. Some avoid the system because it does not offer enough flexibility in scheduling. But local leaders are focusing on improving communication to encourage farmers to use the system. FireD received 14,000 applications for burning in 2024.
Source: Grist
Arts organizations host sensory-appealing shows to engage audiences
From Les Grands Ballets Canadiens to Queensland Ballet to Philadelphia Ballet, theatre companies are offering modified performances and looser theatre rules for neurodiverse children and people who appreciate a more “relaxed” format. Theatres are lowering volume, dimming lights rather than turning them down completely, and allowing people to move around as needed. Les Grands Ballets is offering “quiet zones” where people can retreat when they feel overwhelmed.
ROCO (River Oaks Chamber Orchestra) in Houston emphasizes intergenerational accessibility and innovation in classical music. At certain shows, it offers childcare so parents can bring their children to attend part of the performance. “We put people first,” said Alecia Lawyer, the orchestra’s artistic director. “The people who make the art and the people who experience it are at the center of our vision.”
Sources: Canadian Broadcasting Corp., ArtsHub, Queensland Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens
