Each day the Good Good Good workforce collects the perfect excellent news on the earth 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 —
A needle-free various to the shot, the FDA accepted a nasal spray vaccine in opposition to the flu
Offering another for individuals who are afraid of needles, the FDA simply licensed at-home use of a nasal spray vaccine for the flu. It’s been discovered to be simply as efficient because the shot.
The primary various to the annual flu shot, FluMist may be self-administered outdoors of a healthcare setting, giving folks “better comfort, flexibility, and accessibility.”
Whereas it nonetheless requires a prescription, the out-of-pocket price can be about $35 to $45, and probably much less relying on insurance coverage protection. It’s anticipated to be out there subsequent fall.
Why is that this excellent news? From 2010 by way of 2023, hospitalizations for the flu have ranged from 100,000 to 700,000 every year, and from about 4,900 to 51,000 folks have died. Offering better comfort and entry to a secure and efficient prevention software will assist save lives.
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California simply sued ExxonMobil for its alleged function in deceiving the general public in regards to the plastic air pollution disaster
In a first-of-its-kind lawsuit, California alleges ExxonMobil deceived the general public into pondering “that plastic recycling might clear up the plastic waste and air pollution disaster after they clearly knew this wasn’t attainable.”
In a report from earlier this yr, the Heart for Local weather Integrity discovered that plastic producers knew for many years that recycling was too troublesome and costly, however promoted it as a “resolution” anyway.
CCI’s president known as California’s lawsuit the “most essential authorized motion up to now within the world battle in opposition to plastic air pollution.”
Why is that this excellent news? Whereas the lawsuit will nonetheless need to play out in court docket, it’s encouraging information that states are working to maintain firms like ExxonMobil accountable for his or her actions in exacerbating public well being and environmental crises like plastic air pollution and in the end, local weather change.
International emissions have seemingly reached a essential tipping level because of fast photo voltaic progress and EV adoption
In line with main local weather scientists, world fossil gasoline emissions should peak earlier than 2025 to keep away from a number of the worst impacts of the local weather disaster. And consultants assume we might meet that mark.
Two main worldwide local weather businesses are predicting world emissions have reached a tipping level, and will begin declining this yr.
Driving this essential inflection are fossil fuels being changed with renewable power sources at an more and more quicker tempo, and extra individuals are driving electrical automobiles. Moreover, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gasoline emissions, China, is main the best way in each of these key areas.
A hospital firm in North Carolina forgave the medical debt of 11,500 sufferers
Following a information report on the nationwide medical debt disaster and a North Carolina hospital system’s aggressive pursuit of medical money owed — that hospital system reversed course, canceling these money owed as an alternative.
With some courting again 20 years or extra, Atrium Well being would place liens on sufferers’ houses to gather on their overdue payments. That call impacted round 11,500 sufferers — all of whom have now had the liens eliminated and their debt forgiven.
Earlier this yr, the state additionally began a medical debt reduction program — which all state hospitals take part in — however some sufferers who had longtime money owed have been neglected of this system.
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Extra excellent news for medical debt forgiveness:
Mothers throughout the U.S. are placing money and reward playing cards in diaper containers to acknowledge and assist different mothers
In a now-viral publish on TikTok, a Nashville mother shared a picture of a purse sitting subsequent to child gadgets on a Goal retailer shelf — together with a mirrored image that it illustrated the sacrifices mother and father make to care for his or her kids.
That publish has been seen by 20 million folks, and has impressed many to cover cash or reward playing cards in diaper containers and system containers for an unsuspecting mum or dad to search out and deal with themself to one thing only for them.
The #shedeservedthepurse hashtag has been flooded with movies of mothers sharing their private tales of hardship, and going into shops to “pay it ahead” and do the identical.
“I used to be a struggling mum of 4. I’m in a greater place to pay it ahead now. Doing this Thursday on my break day!” one individual commented.
Whereas it’s essential that oldsters have all they want with out “challenges” like this — from necessities like diapers and system, to postpartum psychological well being assist — it’s inspiring to see strangers caring for and assembly the true wants of their neighbors.
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Protecting 40,000 sq. toes, the world’s first vertical strawberry farm simply opened in Virginia
A startup simply opened the world’s first scalable, indoor vertical strawberry farm in Richmond, Virginia. The farm is designed to supply over 4 million kilos of strawberries yearly.
The strawberries develop in a facility that makes use of superior software program to regulate temperature, mild, and humidity — creating the best rising setting for the planet.
And that’s extra essential than ever, as not solely is the agriculture sector a serious contributor to greenhouse gasoline emissions that exacerbate the local weather disaster (and makes use of a ton of water) — the local weather disaster itself has closely impacted meals programs globally.
Why is that this excellent news? The driving power for current improvements in farming is instantly correlated to the mass crop loss of life and heavy monetary losses spurred by climate-related disasters. This resolution protects meals programs from local weather change points whereas additionally defending the setting from the dangerous impacts of mass agriculture.
Native parks within the U.S. simply obtained a report $254 million funding from the Inside Division
Overseen by the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Nationwide Park Service, the Inside Division introduced a report $254 million funding into 54 initiatives in 24 states for the redevelopment or creation of latest native parks.
It’s the single-largest grant funding constituted of the division’s Out of doors Recreation Legacy Partnership Program.
A significant part of the ORLP is to supply secure outside areas for traditionally marginalized communities — and it’s a part of the Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which goals to have 40% of the advantages of all federal funding circulate to “deprived communities.”
Why is that this excellent news? Neighborhoods the place residents predominantly establish as folks of colour have entry to a mean of 44% much less park acreage than predominantly white neighborhoods — and it’s comparable for low- vs. high-income neighborhoods. This historic funding goals to vary inequity — and is particularly excellent news forward of Nationwide Public Lands Day (tomorrow!).
Extra excellent news of the week —
Louisville residents in newly “greened” neighborhoods had 13% to twenty% decrease ranges of a blood marker of common irritation. As soon as the fastest-growing warmth island within the nation, Louisville’s “timber as drugs” program is a part of a brand new research to find out the connection between inexperienced house and human well being.
The elusive, endangered black-footed ferrets launched in Colorado are displaying indicators of profitable reintroduction. Regardless of hardly ever being seen as soon as they’re launched, new proof reveals black-footed ferrets launched into the wild have each survived and produced new offspring.
Due to incentive applications, faculty districts are beginning to swap out outdated diesel buses for brand new, zero-emissions electrical fashions. About 20 million college students in america experience to highschool on faculty buses, nearly all of that are nonetheless powered by diesel engines, which launch dangerous pollution into the air.
Researchers discovered a blood take a look at that may predict heart problems in ladies many years early. Yearly, greater than 800,000 folks within the U.S. die of ailments like coronary coronary heart illness, coronary heart assaults, and stroke — this take a look at might assist with early detection and remedy.
Combining structure and inexperienced know-how, inventors created sturdy “walkable photo voltaic panels.” Although the corporate’s focus is on residential and industrial flooring, solar-paneled public walkways have slowly develop into extra widespread world wide, from Tampa, Florida to Barcelona, Spain.
Serving to extra ladies run for workplace, Arizona and Oklahoma simply accepted using marketing campaign funds for youngster care. Bringing the entire to 35 states and Washington D.C., Oklahoma’s Ethics Fee dominated that dependent care falls below what state regulation considers an “unusual and essential expense.”
Scientists simply found heat-tolerant coral within the Nice Barrier Reef, providing hope for the reef’s future. As humanity works to dramatically cut back emissions to forestall additional ocean warming, this analysis will assist with interventions to purchase time for corals to outlive.
Scientists invented “espresso robots” to scrub oil and microplastics from water utilizing would-be wasted espresso grounds. A minimum of 6 million tons of espresso grounds are created yearly — however quite than being wasted, they may take away dangerous air pollution from water.
A hair-saving helmet that forestalls hair loss in chemo sufferers is about to be out there. By making use of even strain throughout your complete scalp, the helmet blocks off capillaries and prevents the chemo cocktail from reaching a affected person’s hair follicles.
A choose rejected plans for the primary new coal mine to be proposed within the U.Okay. in three many years. The ruling was a victory for local weather teams who challenged the undertaking’s declare it might have zero affect on world emissions.
In 100 days, Minnesota can be freed from “ceaselessly chemical substances” — banning the sale of merchandise that include PFAS statewide. It’s essentially the most restrictive ban on these dangerous chemical substances within the nation and consultants say native firms are already beginning to get into compliance.
As ice sheets proceed to soften at an more and more quicker tempo, scientists have found out easy methods to thicken Arctic sea ice. Final week, scientists revealed regarding findings in regards to the colossal Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica — if it have been to soften, sea degree rise would affect lots of of thousands and thousands of individuals.
Simply in time for autumn leaves, Virginia’s 43 state parks all now characteristic particular viewfinders for colorblind guests. The viewfinders are outfitted with particular lenses from EnChroma that assist these with red-green colour imaginative and prescient deficiency expertise an expanded vary of colours.
After town’s clear air zone went into impact, 4 in 10 children began strolling to highschool in London. When London restricted the amount of high-emitting automobiles roaming metropolis streets, it knew it might carry quieter streets and cleaner air — however this profit was a shock.
Barcelona is changing its subway trains into energy stations to gasoline electrical automobiles. 4 electrolineras — Spanish for “electrical gasoline stations” — went up in July whose powers are generated by town’s trains.
