Daily the Good Good Good workforce collects the very best excellent news on the earth and shares it with our group. Listed here are the highlights for this week!
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The Finest Constructive Information We’re Celebrating This Week —
A brand new report discovered that renewables will formally surpass coal in power manufacturing subsequent yr
Resulting from a rise in heatwaves all over the world, the Worldwide Vitality Company’s new report predicts electrical energy demand will see record-high progress charges.
Not solely are renewables tasked with changing fossil fuels — they’re additionally wanted to fulfill that rise in electrical energy demand. And so they’re as much as the duty: the IEA predicts the quantity generated by renewable power sources will enhance from 30% in 2023 to 35% in 2025.
Whereas photo voltaic will meet round half of the expansion in demand by itself within the coming years, mixed with wind, it should meet three-quarters of the expansion. Due to explosive progress in renewable electrical energy era — the IEA predicts it should formally surpass coal subsequent yr.
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One in 5 automobiles offered this yr can be battery-powered — with a report 17 million complete offered
Electrical autos are breaking gross sales information all around the world. In keeping with new estimates, 17 million new totally electrical or plug-in hybrid autos can be offered this yr — up from 13.7 million final yr.
China nonetheless leads the world in EV gross sales, with over 10 million totally electrical and plug-in electrical autos anticipated to be offered this yr alone. Estimates present that battery-powered autos may make up 45% of complete automobile gross sales within the nation.
Globally, over one-fifth of autos offered can be totally electrical or plug-in hybrid this yr — in 2018, it was round 2%. And firms are taking discover by ramping up manufacturing of EVs.
Whereas we nonetheless have a protracted technique to go to benefit from the environmental (and well being) advantages of a world stuffed with electrical autos, that is unbelievable progress to have a good time — and proceed.
In one other historic milestone, the seventh particular person on the earth has now doubtless been cured of HIV
Becoming a member of simply six different folks on the earth, a person in Germany has doubtless been cured of HIV. Handled for leukemia with a stem cell transplant in 2015, he’s now the seventh particular person on the earth to be in remission.
Since he stopped taking antiretroviral medication in 2018, there was no HIV detected in his physique, main specialists and scientists to imagine he has formally been cured.
To catch this HIV was initially a loss of life sentence, however right now, due to antiretroviral and pre-exposure prophylaxis medication it may be stored in examine. Whereas scientists maintain inching nearer to at least one — like on this case — there’s nonetheless no treatment.
What’s the nuance? A stem cell transplant is a dangerous and complex process — typically too dangerous to supply as a treatment for everybody with HIV. Nonetheless, every time scientists treatment a brand new case, they’re given invaluable insights to guide them nearer to a treatment for everybody.
Mattel simply unveiled two new inclusive Barbies, together with the first-ever Blind Barbie
One yr after Barbie hit the large display, Mattel simply launched some new historic dolls to its world-renowned catalog, together with the model’s first-ever Blind Barbie.
As a part of the model’s Fashionista line, the doll was created in partnership with the American Basis for the Blind to make sure that the doll precisely depicts people with blindness or low imaginative and prescient.
This new Fashionista line additionally features a Black Barbie doll with Down syndrome. Like the primary Barbie with Down syndrome that was launched in 2023, this one was created with the Nationwide Down Syndrome Society in addition to a spotlight group of Black people from the Down syndrome group.
Extra good Barbie information:
Oregon simply launched a program offering households with a brand new child a free at-home go to with a nurse
As a part of a brand new statewide program known as Household Connects, any household in Oregon with a brand new child can stand up to a few no-cost visits at house with a skilled nurse.
On these visits, the nurses do all the conventional check-ups for the newborn, whereas the mother and father can ask questions, share frustrations, or obtain consolation throughout a time once they’re feeling most exhausted and overwhelmed. Individuals say it’s helped their psychological well being, too.
Based mostly off a program developed in North Carolina, analysis reveals Household Connects has many vital advantages, together with a decline in journeys to the emergency room by new mother and father.
Why is that this excellent news? The U.S. has one of many highest toddler and maternal mortality charges of all rich international locations. Whereas new mother and father go to pediatricians, the visits are rare and sometimes quick. Oregon’s program hopes to bridge that hole to assist tackle these excessive mortality charges.
An Israeli and Palestinian peace activist duo spoke to lawmakers whereas Netanyahu addressed Congress
Vice President (and presidential hopeful) Kamala Harris and greater than 30 different lawmakers elected to not attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s tackle to Congress yesterday.
For those who sat out, there was another choice: To listen to from Maoz Inon and Aziz Abu Sarah, Israeli and Palestinian peace activists, respectively.
The duo have labored collectively since October 2023 to advocate for peace between Israel and Palestine, together with giving a shared TED Speak, and talking earlier than Pope Francis, to heed the decision for an finish to the bloodshed.
Forward of the occasion, Inon shared, “As a substitute of sending Israel weapons and instruments of destruction, it is time to ship Palestinians and Israelis instruments of reconciliation. As a substitute of marginalizing peacemakers, it is time that they sit on the negotiation desk.”
The room was stuffed with lawmakers seeking to “hear a message of hope in tips on how to transfer ahead.”
The Paris 2024 Olympics organizers have promised to make them the ‘greenest’ Video games in historical past by halving its carbon footprint
With a promise to halve the carbon footprint of London 2012 and Rio 2016, the Paris 2024 organizing committee has applied a lot of initiatives to succeed in its sustainability objectives.
Whereas London constructed six new stadiums, and Rio constructed 10 everlasting and 7 short-term, solely two of the 35 stadiums internet hosting occasions can be new in Paris. Plus, they had been constructed utilizing “low-carbon building strategies” and that includes recycled native plastic waste.
Paris can also be utilizing the identical recycled cardboard beds that Tokyo 2020 famously utilized in its Olympic Village. Moreover, spectators and the Video games’ workforce will take pleasure in double the proportion of plant-based substances, in addition to 80% of substances sourced regionally.
What’s the nuance? It stays to be seen if these initiatives will add as much as a halved carbon footprint, and the Video games have one considerably more difficult hurdle to contemplate: spectator journey can account for round 80% of a sporting occasion’s complete emissions. Nonetheless, the sustainability efforts, whereas imperfect, are a standard-setting level of progress to have a good time.
A nonbinary runner on Workforce USA helps ‘set the stage for what’s potential’ and calling for compassion
Nikki Hiltz is a 29-year-old nonbinary middle-distance runner, who earned their ticket to Paris by working the second-fastest time ever of any American within the ladies’s 1500-meter race on the U.S. Olympic Trials final month.
However as trans athletes grapple with the nuanced — and sometimes politically charged — problems with intercourse and gender identification in sports activities, Hiltz has seen their fair proportion of hurdles, together with hateful feedback, misgendering, and doubt of their real skills.
In an interview, Hiltz had one message for people who find themselves confused or upset by their participation within the Video games.
“It’s not about comprehension; it’s about compassion,” Hiltz stated. “If somebody’s asking you, ‘hey [my name is] Michael however I need to be known as Mike,’ you say ‘oh okay’ and you’ve got compassion for them. It’s the identical factor.”
And Hiltz, who joins a rising group of LGBTQ+ Olympians, is aware of that message goes a lot additional than the Video games, saying, “I simply assume sports activities is such a fantastic place that we’re setting the stage for what’s potential in each work atmosphere, as properly.”
Extra excellent news of the week —
The primary comedy membership within the U.S. for sober-curious visitors simply opened in Boston. SoBar Comedy serves non-alcoholic beers and mocktails, crafted in collaboration with Dray Drinks, town’s first non-alcoholic bottle store.
An endangered fish simply gained essential habitat safety in Tennessee. Threatened by invasive fish, droughts and extreme floods, and livestock intrusion, the minnowfish can be protected in 1.5 acres of spring swimming pools and 11.4 miles of flowing springs throughout six counties.
To assist remedy Namibia’s housing disaster, a sustainable improvement mission is constructing properties with mushroom waste and weeds. Taking an revolutionary strategy, the mission notably makes use of encroacher bushes that push out grass and different vegetation and impression the groundwater provide.
The U.S. authorities introduced its plans to part out buying single-use plastics. The federal government is the biggest purchaser of client items on the earth, and this new initiative may make an actual impression on plastic air pollution.
The world’s largest research on assured earnings packages discovered that folks took higher jobs, went again to high school, and extra. Instantly, the information clearly confirmed that money helped folks spend extra on their fundamental wants — along with serving to them discover a “sense of self.”
In an thrilling milestone for the endangered species, 4 zoos in North America have welcomed new child purple pandas. The cute animals are threatened by habitat loss, human interference, and poaching, however conservation and analysis establishments across the globe have stepped in to guard them.
New information reveals Thailand’s tiger inhabitants has doubled over the previous 20 years, due to the nation’s rangers. Along with efforts to revive key habitats and water sources, long-term efforts to strengthen systematic ranger patrols have helped management poaching.
The U.S. EPA has awarded $4.3 billion to greenhouse gasoline emission discount initiatives in 30 states. The cash will go to 25 initiatives concentrating on emissions from transportation, electrical energy, business and residential buildings, trade, agriculture and waste and supplies administration.
A U.S.-based firm simply made a breakthrough in hydropower era with its “fish-safe generators.” Whereas dam removing initiatives have been proven to revive fish species, these generators might be one other resolution for producing clear power whereas defending river ecosystems.
Practically 12,000 acres of land had been simply returned to a Native American tribe in Minnesota. The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act was signed into regulation in 2020, reversing a land seizure by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs within the Forties.
New “good soil” is dramatically lowering the quantity of freshwater required to develop meals. Professors on the College of Texas at Austin have engineered a brand new kind of gel-infused soil that helps vegetation water and feed themselves, rising 138% greater crops whereas utilizing 40% much less water.
The biggest co-located photo voltaic and battery storage system within the U.S. is now formally operational. The Gemini Photo voltaic + Storage mission in Nevada options 1.8 million bifacial photo voltaic panels and sufficient battery storage to supply 1,400 MWh of unpolluted energy after the solar units.
Paris 2024 is the primary time in historical past the Olympics will obtain gender parity. Out of the ten,500 athletes taking part within the Video games, there can be 5,250 males and 5,250 ladies, in addition to a extra even distribution of medal occasions.
Due to initiatives selling much less automobile use, Paris has seen a 40% decline in air air pollution forward of the Olympics. Town closed greater than 100 streets to automobiles, tripled SUV parking charges, eliminated round 50,000 parking spots, and constructed over 800 miles of motorcycle lanes since 2014.
For the primary time in historical past, the Olympic Village may have a nursery for athletes with kids. A results of the advocacy of Allyson Felix — probably the most embellished observe and discipline athlete in historical past — the nursery has a devoted area for childcare, in addition to diapers, wipes, and different necessities.
Paris is popping an industrial neighborhood into the Olympic Village — and it’ll turn into everlasting housing post-Video games. The brand new low-carbon, mixed-use neighborhood is situated in part of town that wants extra housing, and it’ll ultimately have bus stations, bike paths, a park, and retail area, too.
Threatened with violence and loss of life, Afghanistan’s first lady breakdancer is competing on the Olympics Refugee Workforce. Although she confronted intense obstacles to do it, Manizha Talash is now residing her greatest dream since breaking was introduced as a brand new Olympics class.
Hailing from 11 completely different international locations, 37 athletes will compete in Paris as a part of the Refugee Olympic Workforce. The workforce was created for the Rio Video games in 2016 as a logo of hope and to boost consciousness about the worldwide refugee disaster.
Regardless of the Taliban banning ladies from sports activities, two sisters will compete in biking below Afghanistan’s flag. The duo grew up in Faryab, one of the vital distant and conservative provinces, the place it was virtually extraordinary to see ladies on bicycles.
