The Know Daily - Wednesday 28 February 2024

_{Read in 5m 22s ∙ Listening to M83 ∙}

A “transformational gift” of one billion dollars to a medical school in New York City means that starting this August, no student will have to pay tuition again. The dean at Albert Einstein College of Medicine said that the donation from Dr. Ruth Gottesman would help the school to “continue attracting students who are committed to our mission, not just those who can afford it”. 👏

🍃 The EU’s green leap

The European Union is close to approving a “major plan” to combat climate change across its 27 member countries.

Go on…
Despite having a “rough ride” through the EU’s complicated approval process, the Nature Restoration Plan was yesterday adopted by the EU parliament, reported Associated Press. EU member states will now have a final vote on the plan, and it is expected to pass.

What does the plan involve?
The Nature Restoration Plan is a key part of the EU's European Green Deal, which aims to make Europe “the first climate-neutral continent in the world”. Under the plan, member states would be required to meet restoration targets for specific habitats and species, explained The Independent.  

However, protests from farmers and opposition from the biggest party in the EU parliament - the European People’s Party (EPP) - led to the original plan being “watered-down”, said AP.

What criticism did it face?
The EPP had argued that the plan could “undermine food security, fuel inflation and hurt farmers,” said The Independent. For weeks, farmers have been protesting across the European Union, “angry at low food prices, cheap imports and new EU environmental measures”, said the BBC.

What's the other side?
The co-president of the Greens Group said that although the plan “lacks ambition”, it provides a “starting point to build upon the future”. Other green activists are more optimistic, with one saying the plan’s approval by parliament offers “fresh hope” for Europe’s ability to combat “the worst effects of climate change and biodiversity loss for decades to come,”.