Here are some non-coronavirus stories you might have missed
![LGBT rights activists react during the Tirana Gay (P)Ride in Tirana Albania May 13, 2018.](https://assets.weforum.org/article/image/large_NeaywVYu1_so_mJdyK3M5gPIcQCG5_f8Jhqj4VrjKEY.jpg)
Five non-COVID-19 news stories from this week. Image: REUTERS/Florion Goga
![A hand holding a looking glass by a lake](/uplink.jpg)
Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
Stay up to date:
LGBTI Inclusion
- Scientists develop algae that could help coral reefs recover.
- Albania has banned the practice of trying to “convert” LGBT people.
- Low-cost 'million-mile' batteries could make electric cars more competitive.
- Antarctic Peninsula’s green algae's role in reducing greenhouse gases.
1. Some hope for coral reefs
![Coral larvae and algae](https://assets.weforum.org/editor/A-De80BLDv2NCZ_6fe5x9JVE0Th-kVQb2MhC92riO2M.jpg)
For years, the image of pale bleached coral reefs has been a sobering reminder of climate change. But now scientists in Australia say they have discovered a way to make reefs stronger.
Writing in the journal Science Advances, researchers explain they have grown a more heat-tolerant strain of the algae that live in corals.
Algae are crucial to corals because they provide much of their nutrition. But when corals become stressed due to changes in their environment like warming water, they force out the algae, leaving the corals vulnerable to bleaching. This process can lead to coral starvation and, eventually, death.
The scientists have now injected corals with the new strain of algae that is able to cope with warmer water.
Bleached corals can recover. However, rapid action will be needed. Worldwide, a quarter of coral reefs are believed to be damaged beyond repair, with two-thirds under serious threat.
2. Another country bans ‘gay conversion therapy’
Psychologists in Albania have banned so-called 'conversion therapy', which tries to change a person’s sexual orientation.
Albania joins three other countries in imposing a ban: Brazil, Ecuador and Malta. The United States, Canada, Chile and Mexico are among other nations seeking bans; Germany recently prohibited the practice for use on minors.
What is the World Economic Forum doing about the coronavirus outbreak?
Albania’s Order of Psychologists, the country’s leading professional organization, says members will face disciplinary action if they carry out the process.
3. Are ‘million-mile’ batteries on the horizon?
In recent days, there have been two stories about battery technology that may prove significant to the future of transport.
The first is a report that Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company, Tesla, is planning a China launch for its much-rumoured low-cost 'million mile' battery – which, as its name suggests, can last for 1 million miles. Current electric vehicle batteries typically last up to 200,000 miles,
The second, related, story is the news that General Motors is working on its own million mile battery project, investigating zero-cobalt electrodes and ultra-fast charging.
Reducing expensive materials like cobalt could cut costs significantly and bring us closer to the point when battery-powered cars cost the same as gasoline and diesel vehicles.
4. Antarctic ‘green snow’ mapped
On the Antarctic Peninsula, there are patches where large blooms of microscopic algae have turned the snow green.
They’ve been known about since expeditions to the South Pole in the 1950s. But now UK scientists have created the first area-wide maps of them – and have found they cover an area of approximately two square kilometres.
That might not sound like much, but it’s enough to suck an estimated 500 tonnes of carbon out of the atmosphere every year. That’s the equivalent of 875,000 average petrol car journeys in the UK, the BBC reports.
The researchers used the EU’s Sentinel-2 satellite to detect the green blooms. It’s yet not known whether climate change – and Antarctic melting – will increase or decrease algae growth on snow.
Don't miss any update on this topic
Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.
License and Republishing
World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
Related topics:
The Agenda Weekly
A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda
You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.
More on Climate ActionSee all
Hassan Abulenein
August 15, 2024
Christin ter Braak-Forstinger
August 14, 2024
Mike Scott
August 12, 2024
Tom Crowfoot
August 12, 2024
Sumant Sinha
August 12, 2024
Meg Jones
August 12, 2024