Sunday Summary- 04th of April 2025: University Council Debate, Pollution Reduction, and other good news

Dear reader, let me present you with some uplifting news on this cloudy Sunday! This week has been filled with depressing news from around the globe, from Trump’s ICE turning into an authoritarian, unconstitutional force, to Netanyahu’s continuing war on Gaza. To be able to digest and correctly respond to all that is wrong with the world, we also need to know what we are fighting for. So, let’s dive into it: What has humanity attained this week? 

Reduction of Plastic on the Australian Coast

Australia has long been struggling with plastic pollution around its coast. However, the situation seems to be improving: As CSIRO, the Australian National Science Agency, has revealed recently, plastic pollution has dropped by more than a third over the last decade. Though the decline is not the same in every area of the country, the overall levels of pollution have also decreased. Nevertheless, in socio-economically disadvantaged areas and regions with intensive land use, the problem persists – the fight is not over! 

As people in Australia, the agency, and the government continue to try and safeguard their climate, it is good to see results starting to materialise, as researcher DR. Hardesty, a member of CSIRO, has declared.The research agency has been tasked to research and innovate plans for a waste reduction of 80 percent by 2030. Upliftingly so, the recent report shows that although we have to stay on top of our climate measures, we are making progress to make the world a cleaner place. 

Though it is true that mandatory measures on big corporations make a bigger difference, we cannot use this argument to ignore our individual responsibility either: As follows from the report, we students can make a difference – 20 percent of the pollution found was cigarette butts. So do your part and throw your cigarettes in the bin: on our way to make the world a liveable place, one smoke at the time. 

Making a Difference in Maastricht - UC Debate

Good news – you have a say about your future! 

The Maastricht Diplomat has been invested in many projects this year, from taking part in this weekend’s press corps at the yearly EuroMUN, to the behind-the-scenes of last week’s NFS Fashion show. Next week, we are organising the university council debate for student representatives. The debate will be a lively discussion about the future of Maastricht University. As we all have a real interest in what our university will look like in the years to come, we should figure out which candidates have our best interests at heart. The debate is the perfect place to do so. Sign up through this link to watch the debate live on Wednesday, May 7th – and do not forget to vote at the end of May!

A Brighter Future for the Smiling Salamander

Photo 1 by Artem Lysenko - white-fish-under-water-2168831 

The axolotl is a white salamander native to Mexico. In recent years, its habitat has been threatened by the growth of Mexico City, which is the only region in the world where the salamander can be found in the wild. The expansion of the city has specifically led to dams being built, which has resulted in a severe reduction of lakes and deep-water bodies needed for the axolotls to survive. 

Luckily, the fate of the little creatures seems to be turning around: researchers have been investing in a repopulation program since 2017. They have revealed that the 18 salamanders they released into the wild have remarkably managed to adapt to their environment – they all survived. This is good news for the animal kingdom, as for now only around a thousand axolotls still exist in their natural habitat. 

Repopulation programs such as this one offer a glimmer of hope in a time where many species are threatened to the brink of extinction, as the BBC and Nieuwsblad report. In addition to this, the repopulation is great for Mexico, as the animals are an important part of their native culture. 

Thank you for reading this week’s Sunday summary, we hope you enjoyed the positive news from around the world – and most of all we hope to see you at next week’s debate!