Daily the Good Good Good group collects the perfect excellent news on the planet and shares it with our group. Listed here are the highlights for this week!
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The Greatest Constructive Information We’re Celebrating This Week —
Olive ridley turtles simply broke a 4-year file because of conservation efforts in Bangladesh
Already this 12 months, Bangladesh has seen its highest variety of olive ridley turtle eggs, because of in depth conservation actions, together with constructing consciousness amongst native individuals and the vigilance of native conservation teams to make sure favorable circumstances for the species.
And their conservation efforts had been extremely efficient. The Nature Conservation Administration discovered 12,425 eggs in 5 turtle hatcheries by means of April 17 this 12 months on the nation’s coastlines.
That’s an virtually 53% enhance in contrast with the earlier 12 months, which solely saaw 8,096 eggs. And each of these tallies characterize a big soar from the 4,713 eggs recorded in 2020-2021 and 5,763 in 2022-23.
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Extra excellent news for turtles around the globe:
In step with a bigger international development, crime plummeted by near 90% over 30 years in England and Wales
As of 2024, violence, housebreaking and automobile crime have been declining for 30 years by near 90%, based on the Crime Survey for England and Wales — the perfect indicator of true crime ranges.
The drop in violence contains home violence and different violence in opposition to girls. Whereas elevated fraud and laptop misuse now make up half of all crime, it’s primarily a mirrored image of how far the charges of different crimes have fallen.
All high-income nations have skilled related traits to England and Wales, and there’s scientific consensus that the decline in crime is an actual phenomenon.
Nonetheless, there’s a notion hole: 78% of individuals in England and Wales assume that crime has gone up in the previous few years — however the knowledge on precise crime exhibits the precise reverse.
The Biden administration simply ended all new coal leasing within the largest-producing space of the U.S.
Successfully signaling and finish to the coal business, the Bureau of Land Administration simply introduced it will and all new coal leasing within the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana.
Whereas the choice is predicted to face protests from the business, environmental teams have lengthy been combating for an finish to issuing new leases within the area. The federal company’s newest examine discovered that new leases would have “vital impacts on human well being and the local weather.”
Whereas coal firms can nonetheless develop on already-issued leases, environmentalists celebrated the choice, saying it will lead to six billion tons of “extremely polluting coal” staying within the floor.
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Extra good clear power information:
A girl in Edinburgh repairs others’ garments totally free — and has constructed a military of ‘avenue stitchers’ throughout town
Mary Morton hasn’t bought any new garments for 5 years — a call she made after studying extra in regards to the influence of textiles on the surroundings.
Past making the private determination to scale back her consumption by carrying and repairing what was already in her coset, Morton determined to make a fair greater influence. She goes out into the parks and streets of Edinburgh to supply free clothes repairs for individuals passing by.
And her influence goes even additional: she’s recruited a group of 49 different “avenue stitchers” to supply repairs, and every have their very own specific mending abilities. Morton additionally teaches others the way to sew and mend their very own garments.
[Related: There’s a whole “mending club” movement combatting fast fashion by teaching people the basics of sewing!]
Morton was impressed by one other helper, Suzi Warren, who began London’s avenue stitching motion by sitting outdoors main retailers and educating people about repairing, moderately than persevering with to purchase environmentally damaging quick vogue.
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Regarded as extinct in 1979, a brand new litter of endangered black-footed ferrets was simply born in DC
Black-footed ferrets are North America’s solely native ferret species and had been regarded as extinct in 1979. Miraculously rediscovered in 1981 in Wyoming, they rapidly grew to become the middle of devoted conservation efforts. (Ferrets had been additionally not too long ago the middle of a filibuster within the UK.)
Between captive breeding, wildlife reintroductions, habitat restoration, and even genetic cloning, one of many continent’s most endangered mammals is now seeing a comeback.
Maybe the cutest manifestation of this conservation work is a brand new litter, born on the Smithsonian’s Nationwide Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute earlier this month. (However don’t take our phrase for it: see for your self by way of their reside webcam.)
Extra good endangered animal information:
A brand new examine discovered one easy change can lower carbon emissions from cargo ships by 17%
Cargo ships are important to the transportation of important items across the globe, however they launch a median of 140 million metric tons of carbon dioxide yearly (rivaling the aviation business).
Lately, scientists have been working to engineer options to lower down on that large carbon footprint. Most of the options come at a value, so firms are reluctant to implement them on the scale wanted to make an influence.
One new resolution is cost-effective and extremely easy: ships coordinate with one another and journey extra slowly, decreasing each idle time at their vacation spot and hydrodynamic drag — each of which result in much less gas burnt on open waters.
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Extra good decarbonization information:
A world courtroom simply delivered a “historic authorized victory” for small island nations — ruling carbon emissions are a marine pollutant
A UN courtroom on maritime legislation discovered that greenhouse fuel emissions may be thought of a marine pollutant and that nations have a authorized obligation to mitigate their influence on oceans.
The ruling got here on the request of a gaggle of 9 small island nations within the Pacific and Caribbean that face disproportionate threats from local weather change and rising sea ranges.
The courtroom’s ruling was referred to as a “historic authorized victory” for these nations, who will now have the ability to maintain the nations most accountable for sea degree rise as a consequence of local weather change accountable.
Extra excellent news for coastal communities:
Because of federal rules and oversight, cancer-causing air pollution from oil refineries is falling
Benzene is a very “nasty” chemical that may trigger leukemia and different blood cancers. For years, oil refineries throughout the nation polluted harmful ranges of it into the air.
Then, in 2015, the EPA applied a brand new rule for oil refineries: they needed to regularly monitor benzene emissions alongside the boundaries of their services and keep below the “motion degree” of 9 micrograms per cubic meter yearly on common.
These rules and profitable oversight have led to vital progress. In 2023, six of the 115 refineries throughout the nation exceeded the “motion degree” — down from 9 in 2022, 11 in 2021, and 12 in 2020.
This good progress means extra communities surrounding these refineries are shielded from dangerous ranges of air pollution. And that’s additionally an environmental justice win since refineries are additionally typically situated in underresourced communities.
And whereas it’s true that we have to section out refineries total to cease burning fossil fuels — it’s actually excellent news that extra individuals (and the air we breathe) gained’t be uncovered to harmful ranges of poisonous chemical substances whereas we proceed to work towards that aim.
Extra excellent news of the week —
A brand new hand-crank washer helps girls around the globe reclaim over 15 hours each week. An estimated 60% of the worldwide inhabitants depends readily available washing, and 70% of these households place the burden of water assortment and family chores on girls and younger women.
A Canadian-based group helps LGBTQ+ individuals flee persecution. In 70 nations, it’s unlawful to be LGBTQ+, which means individuals have zero primary human rights protections, and being outed means you’ll be able to lose employment or housing.
Solar energy output in Germany has jumped to file highs, producing over 60% of electrical energy for a number of hours a day. Not too long ago, its photo voltaic farms produced 17,531 megawatt hours of electrical energy, 40% greater than the week earlier than and almost 50% greater than the long-term common for that individual week.
Namibia simply grew to become the primary high-burden nation on the planet to achieve a big milestone in stopping mother-to-child transmission of HIV and hepatitis B. Entry to therapy throughout the nation has led to a 70% discount in transmission within the final 20 years.
Indigenous teams unveiled plans to guard 80% of the Amazon in Ecuador and Peru. The plan facilities Indigenous-led forest administration to guard endemic species and forestall roughly 2 billion metric tons of greenhouse fuel emissions.
Fossil fuels generated lower than one-quarter of the EU’s electrical energy in April. The drop in fossil gas era was pushed by wind and photo voltaic progress in addition to the restoration of hydropower.
Scientists are researching extremophiles in Antarctica, serving to us perceive extra about life on Earth. Their work can also be serving to us higher perceive what’s occurring with local weather change — and all we now have to guard.
Reaching an essential milestone, 10,000 girls had been licensed to battle malaria in Rwanda. The Licensed Care program permits the ladies to construct a profession doing the work they’ve spent their lives doing, all whereas contributing to the efforts to eradicate malaria.
One of many world’s most crucial areas for shielding marine biodiversity simply acquired new protections. The creation of the Mar Tropical de Grau Nationwide Reserve in Peru is a big step in the direction of marine conservation.
An upcycling startup in Kenya and Ethiopia is utilizing plastic waste to create constructing building supplies. By turning hard-to-recycle plastics into reasonably priced and low-carbon constructing supplies, Kubik removes about 45,000 kilograms of plastic waste from landfills each day.
A brand new first-in-the-world venture recycles polyester into yarn for brand spanking new garments. Serving to lower down on textile waste and decreasing the manufacturing of recent materials, Undertaking Re:declare is taking the know-how used for recycling plastic bottles and adapting it to polyester textiles.
A examine recognized blood proteins that might present an early most cancers warning by as much as seven years. Scientists recognized 618 proteins linked to 19 sorts of most cancers, together with colon, lung, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and liver.
Ten pupil newsrooms at HBCUs will obtain almost $200,000 for know-how, operations, viewers engagement, and reporting. The cash may also permit the newsrooms to pay stipends for pupil journalists, who typically can’t volunteer as a result of they should work jobs that pay.
Colorado’s jail system should now present the identical gender-affirming well being care coated by state Medicaid. The results of a category motion lawsuit, trans girls should now even have the choice to be housed with different girls.
After introducing free public transportation, a French metropolis noticed a greater than 20% enhance in journeys. In Montpellier, there was a notable distinction “throughout historically off-peak hours” which might present that individuals are diversifying what they use public transit for.
[More good public transit news: Solidifying her sustainable-pop-star status, Billie Eilish covered an entire day of LA public transit costs to help fans get to her album listening party.]
Tennessee will change into the primary state to offer households with child diapers. New modifications to the state’s Medicaid program will begin masking 100 diapers a month for newborns, infants, and 1-year-olds.
Mattel simply launched 9 one-of-a-kind Barbie dolls that characterize trailblazing girls athletes. The discharge comes forward of the 2024 Summer time Olympics in Paris, France, which is the first-ever Olympic Video games to attain gender parity.
Colorado simply grew to become the primary U.S. state to cross sweeping synthetic intelligence rules. The brand new legislation will take impact in 2026 and units guardrails for firms that develop and use AI in an try to mitigate shopper hurt and discrimination.
Researchers developed a brand new sort of “inexperienced concrete” that makes use of half of the quantity of cement. The concrete makes use of coal ash and lasts even longer than conventional Portland cement concrete, which is notoriously carbon-intensive.
Renewable power has now handed 30% of the world’s electrical energy provide. A report discovered that because of the fast rise in wind and photo voltaic, the world could also be getting ready to driving down fossil gas era, at the same time as total electrical energy demand continues to rise.
An ER nurse simply grew to become the primary overtly LGBTQ+ particular person to serve within the higher chamber of the Texas legislature. Molly Prepare dinner got here out as bisexual in 2021 and helps abortion entry, LGBTQ+ rights, and boosting public faculty funding.
TikTok has now began labeling movies and pictures shared on the app which can be made with synthetic intelligence. The transfer comes after specialists have warned a couple of rise in deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation forward of the 2024 election.
[Good resource: We’ve got an entire guide to help you avoid spreading misinformation online.]
