We've received overwhelmingly positive feedback about the headlines and shorter main sections, so it looks like we're going to stick with the new format. To those who preferred the old format - we're sorry! We hope you understand, and that the change isn't too jarring.
Good news for people
India makes significant progress on malaria
Since 2016, India has made remarkable progress in combatting one of the country’s biggest public health challenges. In 2022, there was an 85.1% decline in malaria cases and 83.3% fewer deaths compared to 2015. The country is now focused on managing the disease in hard-to-reach areas. WHO
Cambodia reaches TB targets four years ahead of schedule
Over the last two decades, Cambodia has achieved a 45% decrease in both tuberculosis deaths and new cases, thanks to free-of-charge treatment and high treatment rates (over 90%). Since 2000, the country’s TB control efforts have saved an estimated 400,000 lives. The Star
Everything in America is awful
Apart from the fact that marriage rates are up and divorce rates are down, the percentage of Americans without health insurance has fallen by almost half since 2010, employment for people in their prime working years is at its highest level in more than two decades, manufacturing construction spending has climbed to $225 billion per month, cholesterol levels are gradually improving across the country, and life expectancy has increased for the first time in two years thanks to a levelling off of overdose deaths.
Netherlands adopts consent-based definition of rape
In a historic victory for survivors of sexual assault, the Netherlands has become the 17th EU state to legally recognise that sex without consent is rape. The reform comes after years of activism and is 'an important move towards preventing and combatting sexual violence and improving access to justice for survivors.' Amnesty
Senegal reverses constitutional crisis and conducts free elections
Our friends at the Progress Network have a great story on how Senegal managed to avert a potential fight over executive versus judicial legitimacy in the lead-up to its recent elections. Instead, the country saw a high voter turnout and the first election of a progressive party since 2000.
How Mauritius became a development success story
In the 1960s, Mauritius was a sugarcane-based, low-income country with a per capita income of $260. Today it's a politically stable, upper-middle-income country with a per capita income exceeding $10,000. This development ‘fairytale’ resulted from strategic efforts to boost and diversify growth across agriculture, tourism, financial services, and information technology. World Bank
Mauritius improves healthcare for 260,000 seniors
The island is also stepping up its healthcare to provide for a rapidly ageing population. The integrated approach includes early screening for physical and mental impairments for older people, four new dementia clinics, targeted training for healthcare workers, and national awareness campaigns. WHO
Abortion decriminalised in every state and territory in Australia
Western Australia was the last state to include abortion care access in its criminal code. New changes to the code mean that patients in Australia can no longer be criminalised for abortion care access, a hard-won milestone for the country. Woman's Agenda
A victory for migrants and refugees in Canada
All ten provinces in Canada have now confirmed they will no longer allow the federal government to detain migrants and asylum seekers in local jails. The victory is thanks to the #WelcomeToCanada campaign that launched in 2021 to end the practice. HRW
We commend the provinces for their decisions to stop locking up refugee claimants and migrants in jails solely on immigration grounds. There is now clear pressure for the federal government to stop this rights-violating system across the country.
Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General, Amnesty International Canada
Africa's 'deep-rooted' culture of religious tolerance
Africa is one of the most religious places on earth, and it also has one of the highest rates of religious tolerance. On average, almost 9 out of 10 people say they would live next door to people of a different religion. Of the 47 Muslim-majority countries in the world, only 11 protect the right to religious freedom—eight of which are found in Africa. DW
More good news you didn't hear about
Africa has achieved its highest detection rate for TB, with around 70% of cases now being diagnosed and treated. Colombia has extended a ceasefire with ELN rebels for another six months. A new project will improve health services for 7.5 million people in Lao PDR. Irrigation systems in the Sahel are changing the lives of 390,000 small farmers, 49% of whom are women. Jamaica’s social protection system is being bolstered to benefit 290,000 vulnerable people. India is getting serious about eliminating measles. Brazil is releasing millions of anti-dengue mosquitoes to combat an outbreak of the disease. A new study says we’re getting closer to a universal anti-venom for snake bites. South Africa has restored almost 25% of farmland to original owners since the end of apartheid. Innovative measures are being used to solve water scarcity in the Gulf. A biodegradable contraceptive implant could improve access to contraception globally. Cutting-edge cancer therapy is now being produced in India for one-tenth of the cost. North Macedonia has halved its poverty rate since the global financial crisis.
If it bleeds, it leads
A new study in Nature just put some numbers on what is arguably the most important rule in journalism. Why are most headlines filled with gloom? Because news headlines containing negative language are more likely to be clicked on than those containing positive words. Specifically, for a headline of average length, each additional negative word increases the click-through rate by 2.3%. By contrast, for each positive word in a headline of average length, the click-through rate decreases by 1.0%.
The study found that these were the most frequent negative words in headlines:
1. Wrong
2. Bad
3. Awful
4. Hate
5. War
6. Worst
7. Sick
8. Fight
9. Scary
10. Hell
Which would make this the most effective headline ever:
In a Scary Escalation, the World's Worst and Most Hellish War Ignites a Hate-Fueled Fight, Exposing What's Awful, Bad, and Fundamentally Wrong in a Sick World
(this is why we cannot have nice things)
Good news for the planet
Deforestation in the Amazon plummets in February
Lula is keeping his promise. New satellite data from February show that deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest fell 30% from a year earlier. 'The trend is still the same we had been seeing in 2023: a drop in Amazon deforestation, an increase in Cerrado deforestation.' Reuters
Endangered seabirds flourishing on restored Chilean island
A lot can happen in 30 years. Here are a few of the islands around the world that have been restored over the last three decades—and it looks like another one has just been added to the list, after Peruvian diving petrels have been observed flourishing on Chañaral Island after it was cleared of invasive rabbits.
Toxic chemical releases decline by a fifth in the United States
The EPA just released a new report showing that environmental releases of toxic chemicals from sectors such as manufacturing, mining, hazardous waste management, and electric utilities were 21% lower in 2022 compared to 2013. This includes a 26% decrease in chemicals being released into the air. Cleantechnica
US provides funding for projects to restore habitat connectivity
The Department of the Interior and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation just announced funding for ten projects to protect migratory species such as elk, mule deer, and pronghorn and their habitats in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Wyoming. DOI
Comeback on the cards for Asian antelope in Bangladesh
The largest antelope species in Asia, the nilgai, is making a comeback in northwestern Bangladesh after being hunted to extinction in the 1930s. Recent forays back into their historical habitats indicate that Bangladesh is once again hosting nilgais within its borders. Mongabay
Aruba on track to be the second country to recognise rights of nature
The government of the small Caribbean nation is moving to change its constitution to recognize that nature has inherent rights and also to affirm a human right to a 'clean, healthy and sustainable environment.' If successful, it would join Ecuador, which enshrined the rights of nature in 2008. Inside Climate News
New area protects freshwater for Bolivia’s largest city
Bolivia has created the new Fuente de Vida ('Source of Life') protected area, a 77 km2 water corridor which safeguards freshwater sources for over 2.4 million people in the city of Santa Cruz. The area also adds to a conservation corridor that includes the Carrasco and Amboró National Parks. Andes Amazon Fund
The world's largest trees are thriving in the United Kingdom
More than a century ago, the Victorians were so impressed by redwoods that they brought them home and planted them. It's estimated there are now half a million redwoods in the UK, compared to around 80,000 mature giants in California, and people have finally started noticing them sticking up above the other trees. BBC
Paris has become one of the most bicycle-friendly cities on Earth
Within a year of building 52 km of bike-friendly 'corona tracks,' 60% of users were new to cycling, while the proportion of women increased by 14%. Cyclists in the French capital now have more than 1,000 km of bike paths and marked routes, up from 200 km in 2001, and a further 130 km will be added by 2026. Cities Today
The US is fixing a century-old problem for fish
Ben Goldfarb explores the impact of culverts on migratory fish populations, highlighting new efforts to address this issue. With the replacement of outdated culverts, sea-run fish like salmon can navigate waterways more freely. 'It was one of those problems that I never thought I would see fixed in my lifetime.' Hakai
More music for those who will listen
What is rewilding, and why is it our best hope? California's Yurok Tribe will become the first Native people to manage land with the National Park Service. Scotland bans snares and other brutal wildlife traps. Many coral reefs are dying. This one is exploding with life. Custodianship of California redwood forest returns to ten Native American tribal nations. Volunteer-led rewilding projects are helping restore degraded habitats in Australian cities. The federal government takes the first steps to start cleaning up abandoned uranium mines in the Navajo Nation’s Lukachukai Mountains. Wolves are thriving again across western Europe. Sea lion populations in New Zealand cities 'turn a corner.' Things are looking up for gray whales, with populations expected to rebound. The Dutch city of Utrecht celebrates the restoration of its 900-year-old moat, 40 years after it was cemented over to accommodate a 12-lane highway.
Saving the world is cheaper than ruining it
China's solar installations have skyrocketed in 2024
New data from the NEA show the country installed 37.72 GW of solar, 9.89 GW of wind, and 3,352 km of transmission lines in January and February this year. During last year's record boom, it added 20.37 GW of solar during the same period—which means installations have almost doubled so far in 2024.
China's EV market is accelerating faster than anyone predicted
Energy analysts are now predicting that by midyear, half of all cars sold in the country will come with a plug. 'Forget everything you’ve heard about how electric vehicles are running out of charge. In the biggest car market, they’re on the brink of victory—and the rest of the world will soon follow.' Bloomberg 🎁
Australia is making serious progress on cleaning up its energy system
The Clean Energy Council says renewable energy provided 39.4% of Australia’s total energy generation in 2023, up from 17% in 2017. Queensland just unveiled a roadmap to connect 22 GW of wind and solar and transition from coal, and South Australia's incredible clean grid is now attracting serious interest from industry.
Most of the US interconnection queue is now clean
Solar, wind, and battery storage accounted for nearly 95% of the capacity in transmission interconnection queues as the end of 2023. Over 1,100 GW of solar and 1,000 GW of storage is now waiting, and in some places, like the Northeast, interconnection delays are finally being solved.
California's 100% wind, water, and sunshine streak continues
The state of California, by some estimates the fifth- or sixth-biggest economy in the world, has extended its 100% renewables streak. The supply of wind, water, and sunshine has exceeded California grid demand for between 30 minutes and six hours on 18 of the last 19 days. Mark Z. Jacobson
Every day I post a new record, the anti-renewable, pro-fossil, pro-pollution, pro-useless-solution crowd sees their ideology crumble more.
Mark Z. Jacobson, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University
The United States bets big on cleaning up industry
The DOE just invested $6 billion into America’s largest-ever industrial decarbonization program, supporting 33 projects to implement lower-emissions processes in the manufacturing of products such as iron, aluminium, cement, and glass. It could usher in a new era for one of the dirtiest sectors of all: iron and steel.
World's biggest battery maker launches new heavy vehicle battery
CATL just announced a battery capable of lasting 15 years and 1.5 million km. It's expected to be able to handle over 10,000 charges, with no degradation in the first 1,000 charges. Charge cycle and life cycle cost are major concerns for commercial vehicle operators; this will significantly alleviate those concerns. ITHome
Hyundai misses memo about the EV slowdown
The company just announced a $51 billion investment over three years to bolster growth in electric vehicles and new mobility business and to hire 80,000 new employees. More than half of the investment will be allocated for new R&D infrastructure and assembly lines for EVs. Reuters
Sales of fully electric trucks in Europe are booming
Sales more than doubled in the EU in 2023, comprising 18% of all buses and coaches sold, 5% of light and medium trucks, and 0.9% of heavy trucks. Sales are also accelerating—in the fourth quarter, just over 3,300 new zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles were sold—a 19% increase from the third quarter. ICCT
America's charging network is expanding at record pace
Last year, more than 10,000 Level 3 fast-chargers were built in America, a dramatic acceleration of growth compared to previous years. The recent growth was so strong that more than a quarter of all the country's fast-charging ports were built in just the last 12 months. Distilled
What's the opposite of doom-scrolling?
Germany shuts down seven more coal plants as it exits winter. The global shipping industry inches closer to a world-first: a global, mandatory charge on greenhouse gas emissions. Geothermal is the hottest new thing in clean energy. The US battery storage market shattered records in the last quarter of 2023, more than doubling installations from the previous quarter. Republican states are passing clean energy bills in the name of freedom and economics. Pennsylvania’s largest solar farm will replace the state's largest coal plant; Ohio just approved a massive solar, storage, and agrivoltaics project; New York passes a bill prohibiting carbon dioxide fracking. A new rule from the EPA will clamp down on oil and gas firms with federal leases that release methane. General Motors believes ‘production hell’ is behind it and plans to build 20 times more Ultiums in 2024. How top car salesmen pitch EVs in Trump country. Volkswagen-partnered battery maker pioneers a novel recycling process. You know what the energy transition needs more of? Magical Electricity Death Stars.
Indistinguishable from magic
Scientific research will be made public in America by 2026
After a decades-long effort to open access to scientific studies in America, the results of all federally-funded research will be immediately available and free to the public by 2026, ending the longstanding problem of research papers being stuck behind paywalls, making science more equitable and creating more opportunities for new discoveries. Science Insider
Fossil trove reveals ‘remarkably adaptive’ early humans
An archaeological discovery in Ethiopia of fossils dating back 74,000 years has shown how ancient humans adapted in the wake of a disaster, potentially leading to a pivotal migration for humanity out of Africa to the rest of the world. The finding may also dramatically push back the timeline for the development of archery by several thousand years. NYT
Astronomers identify ancient ‘building blocks’ of Milky Way
Scientists have identified two ancient streams of stars—named after the Hindu deities Shakti and Shiva—that may be relics of two distinct galaxies that merged roughly 12 billion years ago with the Milky Way, offering new insights into how our galaxy came together. Reuters
China’s ‘shrinkable’ rocket engine could open up interplanetary travel
Chinese scientists claim to have developed a nuclear-powered rocket engine that could slash the travel time to Mars down to a few months. When fully deployed in space, the 1.5 MW reactor could be as big as a 20-storey building, but, on the ground, fold neatly into a container-sized volume weighing less than eight tonnes. SCMP
Unpacking the proton
'In the quest to understand the particle that anchors every atom and makes up the bulk of our world,' physicists are exploring the proton's interior using light to mimic gravity. The experiments are shedding new light on the proton's structure and mark a new direction in understanding matter at a fundamental level. Quanta
We’re one step closer to a global quantum communication network
Scientists in Canada have produced nearly-perfect entangled photon pairs by embedding semiconductor quantum dots into a nanowire, a process 65 times more efficient than previous work. It's another step closer to the theorised 'quantum internet'. Phys.org
Scientists ‘cut’ HIV out of cells
Scientists in Amsterdam have successfully eliminated HIV from infected cells using CRISPR. While the research is currently a 'proof of concept,' the hope is to ultimately rid the body of the virus, as existing HIV medicines can stop the virus but not eliminate it. BBC
This week in cyberpunk
Researchers in the United Kingdom have found a way to diagnose bowel cancer without invasive biopsies. Say hello to the artificial muscle, à la Westworld, and check out how scientists are using genetic tools like eDNA to detect and conserve species using discarded bits of skin, scales, and mucus in water, soil, and air.
A medical milestone that could make dialysis obsolete
Surgeons in Boston have transplanted a kidney from a genetically engineered pig into a 62-year-old man. The man’s continued improvement offers hope to hundreds of thousands of patients suffering kidney failure. 'If kidneys from genetically modified animals can be transplanted on a large scale, dialysis "will become obsolete."' NYT
It's still an information superhighway
The best visualisation yet of how a large language model works.
Would you like to know the time and cause of your eventual death? It's a classic thought experiment—and, increasingly, not so theoretical: scientists in Spain are developing exact digital replicas of human organs that can predict the illness and injury that will eventually befall them. A great essay on the concept of digital twins: they could offer humankind the ability to command virtual replicas of forests, oil fields, cities, supply chains, and maybe one day, our very bodies. Neoma
Francis J. Gavin, Professor for Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins, for Foreign Policy. If an alien visited Earth every half century, how would that change their views of progress? The answer is that it would make the alien (unlike most humans) an optimist. Things were a lot worse in the 20th century, and that would have seemed like paradise compared to the 19th century. 'She reminds herself, and wishes the citizens of the planet could remember, that few living in 1974, 1924, or 1874 could have imagined the extraordinary progress earthlings have made since.'
RIP Vernor Vinge, one of the great sci-fi masters. Most of the tributes have focused on his concept of the singularity, but the best thing he wrote was actually A Deepness in the Sky. The tributes have been coming in, although not as many as you'd expect. Perhaps there aren't enough people around any more who appreciate how good he was? The exception is superfan Noah Smith. As he says, go read some.
'In a nondescript warehouse in the heart of Los Angeles, a dwindling handful of devoted craftspeople maintain over 80,000 student musical instruments, the largest remaining workshop in America of its kind.' The Last Repair Shop won an Oscar this year. It’s a 40-minute documentary about the dedicated people who repair broken musical instruments for Los Angeles kids, and you can watch it on YouTube, for free (with a few breaks for ads).
That's it for this edition, we'll see you next week. Thanks for your attention, and your support we couldn't do this without you.
With love,
Gus
