The Know Daily - Tuesday 21st March 2023

_{Read in 5m 50s ∙ Listening to Hozier}

Hawnby, in North Yorkshire, is set to become England’s first “dark skies” village as part of a scheme to help counter light pollution and improve visibility of the Milky Way. The village is planning to switch the lighting of every exterior property and public space - including the local hall, pub and all streetlights - to a dark skies-friendly version. The initiative has widespread public support and will benefit nocturnal wildlife.

📂 The Casey review

A landmark report has found that the Metropolitan Police is institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic.

How did the report come about?
Government official Baroness Louise Casey was commissioned by the Met to investigate the force in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard at the hands of a policeman in 2021. Officers provided Casey and her team with testimony about life in the force, with her damning report then warning that public trust in policing is broken.

What were the key findings?
The 363-page report found evidence of widespread bullying, sexual harassment, racist attitudes and “deep-seated homophobia” in the force. The harrowing stories uncovered by the review included revelations that freezers used to store victim rape kits were overfilled and broke down, meaning that rape cases had to be dropped. The report also found that almost one in five employees had personally experienced homophobia, and that minority ethnic officers were disproportionately likely to be disciplined or leave the force.

Casey said that austerity had profoundly affected the Met and that London no longer has a “functioning neighbourhood policing service”.

What does the report recommend?
Britain’s largest police force needs a “complete overhaul” and may even need to be broken up if sufficient progress is not made, said Casey. The report makes a series of recommendations to “fix” the Met, including “effectively disbanding” the elite protection unit in which rapist officers Wayne Couzens and David Carrick both served.

How has the force responded?
Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley described the report’s findings as “disturbing” and “heartbreaking”, and apologised to Londoners. While he said he accepted the “diagnosis” of prejudice in the force, he added that he would not use the term “institutional” because he viewed it as politicised and ambiguous.

Casey said that she was disappointed that Rowley wouldn’t accept her use of the term “institutional” but that she would wait and see what action the force takes in the coming weeks and months.

 🌒 Collagen’s dark side

An investigation has found that collagen - a product hailed for its anti-ageing benefits - is leading to deforestation and human rights abuses in certain cases.

First things first, what’s collagen?
Collagen is a naturally occurring protein mainly found in our skin, hair, nails and other connective tissues.

In recent years, an industry of collagen supplements - which extract the protein from fish, pigs or cattle - has skyrocketed, and is now worth an estimated £3.32bn. These supplements claim to improve the body’s elasticity and ultimately slow down the ageing process.

What did the investigation find?
A new investigation has found that tens of thousands of cows used to produce collagen are being raised on farms that are damaging Brazil’s tropical forest. As this land is often seized illegally - particularly from Indigenous peoples - the report suggested that the current craze for collagen is contributing to human rights abuses in Brazil.

The investigation also pointed out that unlike beef, soy or palm oil, collagen companies are under no obligation to track their environmental impacts.

How has the industry responded?
Some of the collagen production identified by the joint investigation can be traced to Nestlé-owned Vital Proteins. Nestlé said that the allegations are not in line with the company’s commitment to responsible sourcing and has contacted suppliers to investigate.

How effective is collagen anyway?
Evidence of the effectiveness of oral collagen supplements - which mainly come in the form of pills and powders - is unclear. Harvard School Public Health has cautioned that much of the research into collagen’s efficacy is either funded by the industry or carried out by scientists affiliated with it.

So-called “vegan collagen” supplements have also boomed in popularity among climate-conscious consumers, but experts say that true collagen can’t be vegan as it’s an animal product. Instead, it’s more of a marketing term for plant-based ingredients which help boost your own collagen production - and, again, experts stress that there’s no clear evidence of their efficacy.

Do you take collagen supplements - and will this investigation affect whether you continue to do so? Hit reply to let us know.

👀 Eyes on Trump: Reports suggest that Donald Trump may be arrested over claims that he paid a porn star to keep quiet about their alleged affair. Police in major US cities are ramping up their law enforcement presence in the case that the former president is charged.

🌎 Climate latest: Act now on the climate crisis or it will be too late, the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned. Read the main takeaways from the panel’s research here.

💒 Murdoch marriage: Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire owner of Fox News, The Sun, The Times and many other media outlets, is set to marry for the fifth time, at the age of 92.

🎙️ Copyright case: The Weeknd has settled a copyright case over Call Out My Name, following claims that the Canadian singer-songwriter had stolen from another track. Terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.

🌸 A poem for spring: Simon Armitage, the poet laureate, has written a new poem in celebration of World Poetry Day. Plum Tree Among the Skyscrapers pays homage to spring and marks the start of the National Trust’s annual blossom campaign.

Trivia answer: B) With some exceptions, Brits cannot legally work more than 48 hours a week on average.

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