Could tinkering with photosynthesis prevent a global food crisis? THE NEW YORKER

Human roads have utterly fragmented the world of wild animals but the engineering to reconnect the pieces is in our grasp. AEON

While robotic surgery has been possible for several years, the equipment has been prohibitively expensive for many parts of the world and requires specialist training to use. But what if specialists could just dial in to an operation from a phone or tablet? BBC FUTURE

Skilled collectors are becoming rarer, undermining the nation’s ambitious tree planting goals. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Scientists are trying to speed up coral’s evolutionary clock to breed “super corals” that can better withstand the impacts of global warming. AP NEWS

Animals arrive in Kent in spring 2022 and will create forest clearings – described as ‘jet fuel for biodiversity’. THE GUARDIAN

From ultra-processed junk to failing supply chains and rocketing food poverty, there are serious problems with the way the UK eats. Will the government ever act? THE GUARDIAN

On the last Saturday of each month, everyone stops what they’re doing and works together to improve their communities. It’s called Umuganda. REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL

Faced with worsening floods and a shortage of housing, the Netherlands is seeing growing interest in floating homes. These floating communities are inspiring more ambitious Dutch-led projects in flood-prone nations as far-flung as French Polynesia and the Maldives. YALE ENVIRONMENT 360

In a bid to make Liverpool the fairest and most socially inclusive city region in the UK, the mayor, Steve Rotherham, launched England’s first land commission in September 2020. The commission’s findings chime with new research. It argues for a fundamentally new understanding of what land is. THE CONVERSATION

Winter is often the season for blackouts. Smart grids could change that. VOX

Many in this generation are aware of what they have lost by having grown up on social media, so they’re logging off and working to create a safer, healthier future. YES! MAGAZINE

In northern New Mexico, a district court judge has a radical approach to addressing addiction. THE WASHINGTON POST MAGAZINE

From Montana to Alberta, Indigenous communities are developing ecotourism tied to the keystone species’ restoration. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Some 1,200 workers have moved to the city, and it looks like most plan to stay. REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL

By slowing floodwater and stabilising riverbanks, bamboo walls could protect farmers from climate change-worsened floods – and earn them extra income. THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION

In villages and townships, Africans are building their own internet infrastructure to connect, and protect, the unconnected. THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION

With the world attempting to reach net zero by the middle of this century, what sources of energy could feasibly replace fossil fuels? BBC FUTURE

Under a new law, a large portion of the country’s produce will no longer be sold in single-use plastic containers. REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL

Several UK organisations sprang into action to combat COVID-19-related lockdown loneliness and isolation. The Cares Family connected tens of thousands of younger and older neighbours to spend time together, virtually now due to the pandemic, and Linking Lives also connected people through a telephone befriending model that has yielded deep connections. THINK GLOBAL HEALTH