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In Borneo, a young orangutan named Novita was rescued from wildfires tearing through Central Kalimantan. The three to four year old female was found clinging to a tree, burns on her hands and feet after crossing through the flames. Her rescue is a small mercy against a much larger crisis of accelerating habitat destruction.
Shifting north to Europe, Helsinki has voted to ban fossil fuel advertising on city-owned spaces, a move that puts the Finnish capital among a growing number of cities trying to align their policies with their climate commitments. The catch is a potential ten year delay before the ban takes full effect, which critics say rather blunts the urgency of the gesture.
And in Brussels, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets Friday as anti-austerity demonstrations turned tense, with clashes breaking out between police and crowds rallying against rising living costs and government budget cuts. The scenes reflect a broader pressure building across Europe as governments try to tighten finances while citizens feel the squeeze at home.
Three very different stories, one common thread — decisions made by the powerful, felt most sharply by those with the least room to absorb them. Keep surfing. Tech Beat out.
