Every single day the Good Good Good crew collects one of the best excellent news on the planet 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 British city’s first-ever Delight celebration will rejoice “inclusion” in hopes of constructing a long-lasting legacy
Wotton-under-Edge in Gloucestershire, England prides itself on being a “very inclusive place” — however there’s simply been one factor lacking: a Delight celebration.
That every one modifications this yr, because the city is ready to stage its first Delight celebration ever, full with a parade, household disco, drag takeover, and native companies collaborating in their very own distinctive methods.
Wotton Delight’s director stated she hopes the celebration will create a long-lasting legacy for the city — and extra personally, present her personal youngsters that “rising up in a same-sex household is simply the identical and simply as reputable as all people else.”
Why is that this excellent news? Everybody deserves to really feel welcomed, celebrated, and secure of their group — throughout Delight and all yr lengthy. Delight celebrations in communities giant and small achieve this a lot good to set the tone for inclusivity all yr lengthy.
A “stand-in dad” created a whole motion of “stand-in dad and mom” for LGBTQ+ people in want of assist
Dan Blevins first went viral in January 2021 when he put out a bat sign to LGBTQ+ people who wanted a stand-in mum or dad at their weddings.
After strolling his personal daughter down the aisle, Blevins was heartbroken at “the considered somebody not having that mum or dad at their marriage ceremony or of their life.”
Since then, his community of loving dad and mom has grown exponentially. Stand In Delight’s worldwide Fb group began small and has now reached practically 50,000 members in over 60 nations.
He was impressed by Sarah Cunningham, the founding father of Free Mother Hugs, a corporation with an analogous method to connecting affirming volunteer “dad and mom” with members of the LGBTQ+ group.
The affect is immeasurable. Along with being flooded with assist simply in Fb group feedback, people stand in at weddings, graduations, and past — opening up their eating tables on holidays, swapping life recommendation, and offering easy care and consideration in a non-traditional manner.
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Nationwide parks simply obtained $700 million in federal funds to battle local weather change — and it’s already making a distinction
As a part of the Inflation Discount Act, the Nationwide Park Service was given $700 million to make its land extra protected and resilient to inevitable local weather change — and conservation and restoration initiatives are already underway throughout the nation.
In Yellowstone and Yosemite Nationwide Parks, for instance, efforts are underway to protect and shield whitebark pine timber, which are actually a threatened species on the Endangered Species listing.
Whereas their targets are wide-ranging — from defending coral reefs to learning fish in warming streams — all of the initiatives underway will assist federal lands climate the climate-changed future.
What’s the nuance? Whereas the IRA funds are a welcomed and much-needed enhance to those resiliency efforts — they’re principally serving to within the brief time period, and extra assist will likely be wanted to assist the parks put together for the impacts of local weather change.
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Demand for hybrid autos is surging — and carmakers are making extra of them than ever earlier than
In mannequin yr 2023, gross sales of hybrid autos hit a brand new excessive, comprising 13.6% of all manufacturing.
The rise continued in 2024, with gross sales of gas-electric hybrid autos in the USA rising 5 occasions quicker than that of absolutely electrical cars in February.
In 2023, 29% of Toyota’s gross sales had been hybrid autos and it’s anticipated to succeed in nearer to 45% by the top of this yr. Gross sales of the Jeep Wrangler plug-in hybrid elevated from 37% of whole Wrangler gross sales within the first half of 2023 to 50% within the second half of final yr.
Toyota’s manufacturing of hybrid electrical autos sits at 31.8%, it’s second solely to Mercedes, which leads the best way with 43.1% manufacturing.
Rising steadily since 2017, the hybrid electrical automobile market within the U.S. is predicted to be value over $55 billion by 2032.
Whereas hybrids are extra environmentally pleasant (and higher for human well being) than gas-powered autos, they emit considerably extra emissions than absolutely electrical autos, which produce zero emissions.
Paris is popping an industrial neighborhood into Olympic Village — it would develop into everlasting housing post-Video games
Probably the primary to take this sort of method to its Olympics buildout, Paris is retaining town’s future in thoughts because it creates the 2024 Summer season Video games’ Olympic Village.
Fairly than the same old method — determining what to do with Olympics-specific buildouts as an afterthought — Paris is constructing a brand new low-carbon, mixed-use neighborhood in part of town that wants extra housing. Olympic athletes will simply be its first residents.
As soon as the 2024 Video games — historic already as the primary to realize gender parity — are over, the neighborhood will resume “regular” operations with rental housing, flats on the market, workplaces, and extra. Paris can be including bus stations, bike paths, a park (the place the athlete bus areas will likely be), and retail area (the athletes’ medical amenities).
Why is that this excellent news? The basically single-use development of the touring Olympics is a notoriously wasteful side of the Video games.
Other than an extremely sustainable and modern technique to method development (not the primary time Paris has led the best way in that regard!), the neighborhood they selected wanted to be revitalized on this manner. It’s so considerate of town to construct for its wants outdoors of internet hosting the Olympics.
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A neighborhood in Massachusetts is now residence to the first-ever geothermal heating and cooling community
A neighborhood in Framingham, Massachusetts is being retrofitted for a first-of-its-kind geothermal heating and cooling community — and the challenge is now formally up and operating.
The method itself is nothing new, however this mile-long challenge marks the primary time that geothermal vitality has been used to warmth and funky a shared community of buildings on this scale. (Boise, Idaho has an analogous setup in place for its downtown buildings!)
Residents within the neighborhood say they really feel like they “gained the home lottery” when their group was handpicked for the challenge. It’s anticipated to scale back the residents’ greenhouse gasoline emissions by 60% — and lower their common utility prices by 20%.
Why is that this excellent news? Usually, inexperienced vitality upgrades are solely reasonably priced to wealthier residents, however when it got here to contemplating candidates in Framingham, the group behind this landmark challenge made positive to prioritize low-income residents — making it excellent news for environmental justice, too.
A gaggle of eight Alaskans is suing the state to dam development of an enormous gasoline pipeline over local weather issues
A gaggle of younger Alaskans is suing the state of Alaska and the state-owned Alaska Gasline Growth Corp. to dam development of the company’s long-planned trans-Alaska pure gasoline pipeline.
Ranging in age from 11 to 22, the group argues that the company’s founding legal guidelines are unconstitutional as a result of the gasoline pipeline would end in a lot climate-altering greenhouse gasoline that it might endanger their constitutionally assured potential to entry Alaska’s fish, wildlife, and different pure sources.
[Related: Indigenous activists have long been fighting against pipelines for their damaging environmental impacts.]
They’re being supported by Our Kids’s Belief, a nonprofit that’s supported comparable climate-related lawsuits in state and federal courts across the U.S.
Whereas an analogous case was delivered to the courtroom just some years in the past, the brand new lawsuit contends that the Alaska Structure incorporates an implicit proper to a livable local weather.
In the event that they’re profitable, the ruling might have ripple results each in courts and for local weather motion across the nation.
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The Biden administration simply introduced a first-of-its-kind ocean conservation plan that prioritizes Indigenous data
The Smithsonian and the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration simply introduced the rollout of a first-of-its-kind Nationwide Ocean Biodiversity Technique. It’s the primary nationwide technique aimed toward taking motion to save lots of marine life (and, subsequently, all life).
The brand new technique requires a “stronger, extra unified and inclusive method to ocean conservation.”
Importantly, step one within the technique brings collectively federal companies, states, Tribes, and native communities to doc the financial and cultural values of the ocean, making certain all prices of a degrading ocean ecosystem are understood and included in decision-making.
Why is that this excellent news? The entire ocean territory underneath U.S. administration covers an space bigger than all 50 states mixed. Whereas protections for marine life have elevated lately (globally, too!), a lot of it stays unprotected or misunderstood.
The brand new technique goals to shut these gaps by working alongside native and Indigenous stakeholders.
Extra excellent news of the week —
Final yr, drag queen Pattie Gonia hosted her third-consecutive Delight with Yosemite Park Rangers — and it was fabulous. Yearly, Pattie hosts a summer time Delight tour with partnering organizations to host drag occasions and environmental stewardship outings throughout the U.S.
Dylan Mulvaney says her first Delight as a trans lady “felt sincere and free.” Dylan writes how even prior Delight celebrations, although they seemed completely different, helped deliver her “nearer to my reality and gender identification.”
Throughout Delight Month, queer activists host a multi-faith “day of prayer” for the “security, well-being, and flourishing” of LGBTQ+ youth. Queer Youth of Religion Day was created by Beloved Come up, the primary nationwide group for queer youth of religion.
A transphobic politician made Dylan Mulvaney the butt of a joke on Cameo — now she’s saving lives on the identical platform. Mulvaney is donating Cameo earnings revamped the following month to Save The Kids, which is bringing humanitarian aid to youngsters in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and extra.
[That’s not all: Dylan is also giving back to The Trevor Project through the end of the month via streams of her new single, “Days of Girlhood.”]
A teen created an app to assist in giving folks a secure, handy technique to discover their gender identification. Josh Tint obtained recommendation from Apple’s Tim Cook dinner in creating the Uncover Me app, which launched in 2022 and has been downloaded by over 2,000 folks.
A speech clinic in Northeast Ohio gives free voice remedy to trans people. Voice remedy is a life-changing and probably life-saving service for the trans group, who’re at increased threat of experiencing violence, homelessness, and abuse.
A transgender TikTok creator is responding to his hate feedback with a joyful method. Ernie Thompson began off ignoring hate feedback, then determined he might use them to do some good: and he began responding by doing the macarena.
A Fort Price, Texas salon gives free and sliding-scale gender-affirming haircuts for the queer group. Acute Salon has a lot of initiatives to make hair care extra inclusive for the reason that magnificence business will be intimidating for these in marginalized communities.
LGBTQ+ Swifties raised cash for the trans group by throwing a ‘Tortured Poets’- themed listening occasion. The Denver Gaylors raised over $1,300 for femme, trans and nonbinary people going through homelessness within the Denver space.
Mercury Stardust and pals raised thousands and thousands to fund gender-affirming look after trans people. Though transphobic trolls threatened to derail their annual fundraiser, Stardust remained dedicated to getting care to folks in want.
A brand new Netflix committee is awarding $50,000 grants to trans, nonbinary, and feminine filmmakers. Trade giants like Greta Gerwig and Lily Gladstone joined the committee to distribute the life-changing grant cash.
The newly launched American Local weather Corps is putting round 20,000 younger folks in jobs in its first yr. They’ll be engaged on initiatives like restoring land, enhancing pure catastrophe resiliency, deploying clear vitality, and extra.
By eradicating dams, communities are adapting to intensifying excessive climate and defending the well being and security folks. Many dams had been constructed when the water-related climate panorama seemed fully completely different, and do extra hurt in intense local weather change-related climate.
Portray streets and buildings white and planting extra timber helps preserve folks and communities cooler. Local weather change is inflicting extra frequent and intense warmth waves, sending extra folks in communities to the hospital.
Philadelphia kicked off Delight Month by setting a Guinness World Report for the world’s largest drag story time. An “necessary assertion” as states attempt to ban drag story hours, 263 folks attended the occasion to kick off Delight Month.
In response to firefighters persevering with to die of most cancers, San Francisco is now going fully PFAS-free. Analysis means that firefighters have increased charges of most cancers than the final inhabitants, together with a 26% increased threat for mind most cancers.
An modern “signal language ambulance” service helps cut back limitations to care and save extra lives. The implementation of this know-how will make emergency companies extra accessible for deaf and laborious of listening to sufferers.
An organization simply grew to become the primary to put in wood-based wind generators. Whereas others are engaged on options to recycle turbine blades extra effectively, this resolution helps tackle this particular clear vitality supply’s waste problem.
A brand new research discovered that the rise in sustainable vitality within the U.S. has resulted in $249 billion of local weather and well being advantages. From 2019 to 2022, the nation’s rising use of wind and solar energy lower emissions by 900 million metric tons — the equal of taking 71 million automobiles off the street yearly.
New analysis reveals birdwatching can enhance your psychological well being and foster a way of well-being. The psychological well being advantages of being in nature have lengthy been acknowledged, whether or not by means of actions like listening to birdsong or taking a stroll within the park.
An modern aluminum plant can cut back carbon emissions by 75% — it simply obtained federal funding to broaden manufacturing. Aluminum is an important uncooked ingredient within the battle towards local weather change, however the business wants a makeover to make sure the transition off fossil fuels is a clear one.
[Related good news: People are working on cleaning up another carbon-intensive industry.]
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s property simply introduced a brand new media partnership to guard his legacy. P3 Media will now assist guarantee Dr. King’s life, writings, and history-making speeches function catalysts for advancing his beliefs of nonviolence, racial justice and equality for all.
The primary statewide program of its variety, Colorado will supply in-person voting for eligible voters who’re incarcerated. The state’s governor signed a invoice that goals to make it simpler to vote for incarcerated folks awaiting trial or serving time for misdemeanors.
Google and International Fishing Watch simply introduced an AI oceans challenge to trace and mitigate human hurt at sea. This primary-of-its-kind interactive map, years within the making from GFW, updates every day and reveals wind generators, fish farms, and extra.
Ten Indian Ocean nations are making a community of marine conservation areas referred to as the “Nice Blue Wall.” It’s half of a bigger world effort to guard 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030 — presently solely round 5-8% of the marine space within the Indian Ocean is underneath some type of authorized safety.
Previous buses and decommissioned fishing boats are being become new houses for marine life in Sri Lanka. Since Sri Lanka has a slim continental shelf, aside from a couple of coral reefs, there are only a few websites across the island that facilitate fish breeding.
A gaggle of YouTubers raised $30 million to take away 30 million kilos of trash from the ocean. #TeamSeas partnered with the Ocean Conservancy to prepare seaside cleanups and an in-ocean cleanup, and The Ocean Cleanup to give attention to trash in rivers.
Scientists are creating modern synthetic reefs to assist restore corals and shield coastal communities. Coral reefs assist vibrant marine ecosystems, stimulate tourism and fishing industries, and shield shorelines from tropical storms and erosion.
Fight diving veterans are utilizing their distinctive underwater abilities to assist restore ocean well being. Drive Blue is a nonprofit that unites army veterans with the world of coral reef conservation for the betterment of each.
