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Good news for people
Global negative emotions drop for the first time in a decade
This will come as a surprise to anyone with a regular news habit but Gallup's annual global survey of 146,000 people across 142 countries reports that in 2023 positive emotions reached their highest since the beginning of the pandemic, and negative emotions declined for the first time in a decade, with an uptick in people feeling more well-rested, experiencing more enjoyment, and smiling or laughing more. Among all age groups, young people were by far the best off, and Latin American and Southeast Asian countries topped the list of places where people report more daily positive emotions. Vox
Indonesia has lifted 3 million people out of poverty in a decade
Statistics Indonesia says that between March 2014 and March 2024, the number of people living in poverty decreased from 28.28 million to 25.22 million, representing an average annual reduction of about 300,000 individuals, primarily in rural regions. Poverty status is determined by the poverty line, which is the minimum income needed to meet both food and non-food needs. Antara
World leaders pledge to increase vaccine production in Africa
The $.1.1 billion project will fix COVID-era mistakes that left African countries, which import over 99% of their vaccines, with limited access to life-saving medicines: 'This initiative will support the sustainable growth of Africa’s manufacturing base and contribute to the African Union’s ambition to produce most vaccines required by African countries on the continent.' Al Jazeera
Ivory Coast receives first batch of malaria vaccines
The government announced the arrival of 656,600 doses of the R21/Matrix-M vaccine, which will be used to immunise 250,000 children under two years old. The vaccine will complement national efforts such as mosquito net distribution and insecticide spraying in malaria-prone areas that helped reduce malaria deaths from 3,222 in 2017 to 1,316 in 2020. WE News English
Boston records 78% reduction in homicides in just one year
The city has recorded just four homicides this year. This far surpasses the goal set by city leaders in 2023 to cut homicides by 20% in three years. Experts attribute the drop to a confluence of measures—including micro-targeting of locations and people, an increase in police funding, and community investment and outreach. NYT
Healthcare gets a boost in Mali, Gambia, Armenia
In Mali, $100 million will fund improvements to reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, adolescent, and nutrition health services; in The Gambia, additional financing will aid in constructing more health facilities as part of a longer-term project to enhance the quality of essential health services; and Armenia is getting a $110 million boost to increase healthcare affordability for all citizens.
Senegal gets $200 million to improve water and sanitation services
A new project funded by the World Bank is expected to benefit more than seven million people nationwide through its reforms, which include expanding collective sanitation services, promoting the use of treated wastewater for irrigation, and building resilience to flood and drought risks. World Bank
Digital transformation for 180 million Eastern and Southern Africans
A new World Bank-funded programme aims to expand affordable, reliable, and high-quality internet access and improve digital knowledge for millions of people across the region. The first phase of the eight-year plan will give over 50 million people in Angola, the DRC, and Malawi access to new and improved broadband internet. World Bank
A Paris court case could mark a turning point in international justice
Since 1990, the total number of armed conflicts worldwide has seldom dropped below a hundred, but the world’s desire to prosecute those who commit war crimes has grown. Last year alone, the number of cases brought before national courts for international crimes rose by 33%. The latest high-profile case involves a French arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. CS Monitor
US sees lowest COVID-19 hospitalisations since pandemic onset
Remember when these numbers made the news?
If it bleeds, it leads
'What do most people not understand about the news media? I would say two things. First: The most important bias in news media is not left or right. It’s a bias toward negativity and catastrophe. Second: That while it would be convenient to blame the news media exclusively for this bad-news bias, the truth is that the audience is just about equally to blame.
'The news has never had better tools for understanding exactly what gets people to click on stories. That means what people see in the news is more responsive than ever to aggregate audience behaviour. If you hate the news, what you are hating is in part a collective reflection in the mirror.
'If you put these two facts together, you get something like this: The most important bias in the news media is the bias that news makers and news audiences share toward negativity and catastrophe.'
Good news for the planet
Pacific bluefin tuna rebounds a decade ahead of schedule
The species has exceeded international targets—reversing decades of overfishing—thanks to significant international cooperation between fisheries and scientists. Efforts to rebuild the stock started in 2011, after the population hit near-historic lows, but it has rebounded much faster than expected. 'This is an amazingly resilient fish, and the new assessment is showing us that.' NOAA Fisheries
More protected land in the Amazon than officially recorded
A new study revealed that over 40% of land across nine Amazonian countries is under some form of conservation management, significantly higher than the 28% officially recorded. In the Amazon rainforest itself, 62.4% of land is under some sort of conservation—with Indigenous territories accounting for 16%, achieving notable gains in areas where they have been granted robust land rights. Mongabay
World’s first Indigenous-led ‘blue park’
The Gitdisdzu Lugyeks Marine Protected Area on the coast of British Columbia has been designated a ‘blue park’ for its excellence in marine protection. The Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation established the protected area under its own jurisdiction, proving that a 'little community' was able to create this protected area and is on the path to regenerating the area. The Narwhal
Nigeria to ban single-use plastics
A nationwide ban on single-use plastics—including straws, cutlery, plastic bottles, and small water sachets—will begin January 2025. The country, which generates over 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, is also drafting a new policy to phase out plastics, with producers expected to shift to alternatives within five years. Reuters
New funding to save America’s most at-risk species
The funds will support conservation projects in 19 states and Guam to conserve 23,000 acres of habitat for 80 listed and at-risk species, including the Indiana bat, wood stork, gopher tortoise, Oregon silverspot butterfly, and Everglade snail kite. The $48 million in grants will be matched by more than $27 million in partner funds. US Fish & Wildlife Service
Colombia has a new national park
Spanning 68,180 hectares—an area nearly four times the size of Washington, D.C.—the National Natural Park Serranía de Manacacías safeguards a vital wildlife corridor that connects the Orinoquía, the second-largest tropical savanna in the continent, to the Amazon. The park includes six unique ecosystems and is home to a quarter of all the bird species known to live in Colombia. The Nature Conservancy
Protected lands in New Mexico have been expanded
The acquisition of approximately 3,700 acres of land adjacent to the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument will secure vital wildlife habitats, increase public access, and stop development around the park’s boundaries. The expansion is part of a two-decade commitment to preserve New Mexico’s natural and cultural heritage. Trust for Public Land
Conservation and economic development go hand-in-hand
A global analysis of more than 10,000 protected areas has revealed that simultaneous progress in conservation and economic development has occurred in about half of all sites. "Conservation does not happen in a silo. We must consider local development alongside biodiversity conservation to know where and how to protect areas to benefit both the environment and humans." Anthropocene
DRC’s 1 billion trees program achieves 90% of target
From 2019 through 2023, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) planted almost 895 million trees, covering just under 700,000 hectares across 22 provinces, as part of a government programme known as ‘School Garden: 1 billion trees by 2023.’ The programme aimed to strengthen climate resilience and alleviate poverty in a country that loses 500,000 hectares of forest cover each year. Mongabay
More music for those who will listen
Peru has protected 6,449 hectares of an endemic fog oasis that hosts hundreds of rare and threatened species. The largest salt marsh restoration in the northeast United States is underway in Massachusetts to bring back the Cape Cod river herring. In Maine, rehabilitation will begin on the Penobscot River after a decades-long legal battle. White-tailed eagles are nesting in Belgium for the first time in 500 years. Rewilding in Scotland has created a >400% increase in jobs at rewilding sites. A coalition of organisations is working to restore mangroves in the Greater Florianópolis area on Brazil’s southern Atlantic coast. Atlantic salmon are spawning in the upper waters of the River Derwent for the first time in a century. The incredible ‘second life’ of shipwrecks creating habitats for diverse communities of underwater life. How the Netherlands is leading the shift to a circular economy, with 27.5% of the country’s material resources now coming from recycled waste. European multinationals pull out of an enormous Indonesian nickel mining project amidst concerns it would impact one of the world’s last Indigenous tribes living in voluntary isolation. Developers of the new Babanango Game Reserve in South Africa seem to have made a good start.
Solarpunk is a valid belief system
Something approaching a miracle has been taking place in California this spring. Beginning in early March, for some portion of almost every day, a combination of solar, wind, geothermal, and hydropower has been producing more than a hundred per cent of the state’s demand for electricity. . . . It’s taken years of construction—and solid political leadership in Sacramento—to slowly build this wave, but all of a sudden it’s cresting into view. California has the fifth-largest economy in the world and, in the course of a few months, the state has proved that it’s possible to run a thriving modern economy on clean energy.
Bill McKibben in The New Yorker
Germany achieves 58% renewable energy share in first half of 2024
Germany is the third-largest economy in the world after the United States and China, and renewables generated 58% of its electricity in the first half of 2024. That means that in just eight years, total carbon emissions from electricity in Germany have almost halved. This is ridiculously fast decarbonization. Why isn't everyone reporting it? NPA International
Europe accelerates its turn away from fossil fuels
Slightly more than half of the European energy mix in the first half of 2024—50.39%—came from renewables. Much of that came from onshore wind and hydropower, but solar also surpassed coal for the first time ever. And if you factor in nuclear generation, the continent’s energy mix during that period shoots up to 74% low-carbon energy sources. Reuters
China’s renewable power share takes on record heights
The country’s solar and wind additions in the first five months of 2024 are a record for any country, ever. New solar and wind capacity shot up by almost a third and a fifth, respectively, from the same month last year. 'Maintaining the rate of clean energy additions achieved in 2023 would enable China to peak emissions now, so the numbers are very promising.' Lauri Myllyvirta
University divestments approach global tipping point
As many as two-thirds of universities around the world now have policies pushing for divestment from carbon-heavy energy companies, according to a new ranking of the broader impact of global higher education institutions. The movement, started just over a decade ago, is getting close to a 'tipping point,' although not all regions of the world are moving as quickly.
A slew of sunshine in India
China and Europe aren’t the only ones with shiny new renewables records. India has increased its renewable capacity in the first five months of this year—topping last year’s record numbers—with 11 GW of solar and 1.7 GW of wind. The bad news? Despite all that new green energy, India added 21% more coal during those same months this year compared to last. That's a problem that still needs solving.
Britain's last coal plant approaches closure
Slated to shut down in September after almost six decades of operation, the 2-GW Ratcliffe-on-Soar power plant just received its last rail delivery of coal. Next stop? A possible future as a 'zero-carbon technology and energy hub for the East Midlands,' according to the plant operator. BBC
No sign of slowdown for the world's biggest EV maker
Chinese automaker BYD says its fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are hitting new sales benchmarks. Sales of all-electrics in the first half of the year are up 18% compared to H1 2023, while the company’s PHEV year-over-year sales were up a whopping 58%. With plans to offer lower prices on its electric vehicles, observers are wondering what sales numbers will look like going forward. Electrek
CATL takes a step closer to plane batteries
Long-range electric planes might now be more than just a glimpse on the horizon. CATL, the world's largest battery maker, says it has successfully tested its ultra-high energy density battery in a four-ton electric airplane. The firm also announced this week that they intend to commercialize electric aircraft weighing twice as much, with up to 3,o00 km of range, in 2027 or 2028. China Daily
Electric buses in Europe on track for 100% this decade
Battery-electric models accounted for 36% of new city bus sales in 2023 in the EU, overtaking diesel as the drivetrain of choice, according to an analysis by the European Federation for Transport and Environment. On the current trajectory, 100% of new city buses will be emissions-free by 2027.
What's the opposite of doom-scrolling?
From January through May, the United States added more than twice as much solar as it did during the same period last year. China will see the price of offshore wind power dip below the price of coal-generated electricity for the first time this year (this is a big deal). Stockholm to cover half of its power demand via a new floating offshore wind farm. US readies for 6.3-GW offshore wind lease auction off its east coast. Over three-fifths of Chile’s power came from renewables last year, turning the page on its historic fossil fuel reliance. Thousands of jobs are being created in North Carolina thanks to Toyota's massive battery plant. Thousands of jobs are being created in Mississippi thanks to a massive battery plant for trucks. World's largest sodium battery goes into operation. What slowdown? New EV sales records for Hyundai and Ford in America. Ford’s CEO: 'take it from a car guy,' electric vehicles are the future. Massive subsea power cable could link Morocco’s incredible renewable energy potential to the British grid—if subsidies and approvals come through. Startup says its fish-friendlier turbines could be used at half of America’s hydroelectric dams.
Indistinguishable from magic
James Webb Space Telescope finds most distant known galaxy
The Cosmic Dawn is the name astronomers use for the first few hundred million years after the Big Bang, in which the first galaxies were formed. The farthest of these galaxies, JADES-GS-z14-0, was discovered in May this year, observed as it appeared 290 million years after the Big Bang - several hundreds of millions of times the mass of the Sun. This raises the question: How can nature make such a bright, massive, and large galaxy in less than 300 million years? NASA
Oldest known narrative artwork discovered in Indonesia
A humble cave painting discovered in Indonesia, showing three people around a wild pig, is the oldest-known narrative artwork ever made by human hands, dating back more than 51,000 years. The discovery, which was dated using a new laser technique, marks the first time a cave painting has passed the 50,000-year barrier. 'This is the oldest evidence of storytelling.' Phys.org
Oldest-known culturally transmitted ritual discovered in Australia
A 12,000-year-old archaeological find in a cave in southeastern Australia matches 19th-century accounts of Aboriginal sorcery practices—a convergence of archaeological evidence and ethnographic accounts that demonstrates just how long Aboriginal traditions have survived, persisting from the last ice age to colonial times. Science
Researchers discover a new species of ceratops horned dinosaur
In 2019, scientists uncovered what is likely to be an entirely new species of horned dinosaur. Discovered on private land in northern Montana, the skull of Lokiceratops was distinctly unique compared to anything previously seen. The discovery is helping palaeontologists better understand the evolution of horned dinosaurs, which once lived in what is now North America. NYT
Waymo opens up its San Francisco robotaxi service to everyone
As of last week, anyone can download the app and immediately hail a self-driving car in San Francisco, population 808,437—a move that mimics its strategy in Phoenix, its first driverless taxi market. This really feels like it should be a bigger story. For people with disabilities in particular, it's a game-changer. Verge
Programmable RNA could allow large-scale chromosome changes
CRISPR can’t make edits without breaking both strands of DNA, isn’t useful for inserting whole genes, and isn't always as accurate as scientists would like. Now a new gene-editing technique discovered by US and Japanese scientists, derived from bacterial 'jumping genes,' could potentially overcome some of those limitations, thanks to a molecule called bridge RNA. GeneEngNews
'Brain-in-a-jar' biocomputers can now learn to control robots
The breakthrough is thanks to an open-source piece of software that acts as an interface between biocomputers and other electronic devices, giving the brain organoid the ability to perceive the world through electronic signals. One downside—apart from some clearly thorny ethics—is that the 'wetware' needs to be fed, watered, temperature-controlled, and protected from germs and viruses. Yikes.
Travelling to the edge of space in a giant hot air balloon
After successfully completing its first test flight, a Florida-based startup has started accepting deposits for its space trips offering panoramic views of the Earth from a luxury capsule with an open bar and a toilet. The balloon will reportedly travel to the edge of space and sit 30 km above the Earth’s atmosphere.Independent
In our last edition we had a story about 'the first rock samples from the dark side of the moon.' As reader Dave Beardwood rightly pointed out to us, though, and with all due respect to Pink Floyd, there is no dark side of the moon. There is a far side of the moon, since it's tidally locked with the Earth (the same side faces us all the time). And since the sun goes around the Earth, it goes around the moon, too. A new moon, for example, has the sun on the far side, which makes that side of the moon the opposite of dark.
The information superhighway is still out there
Andrew McAfee on why AI and robots aren't going to cause massive unemployment. Jobs are made up of tasks—and their effect on overall performance is multiplicative, not additive. This means that job performance isn't an average of performance on all the tasks, and certain tasks can be crucial (a concept known as the O-Ring model of production because of the Challenger disaster in 1986). The implication of O-Ring-style jobs is that all of the tasks have to be done well, and if performance on some tasks suddenly gets better, the remaining tasks don’t become less important, they become more critical.
Tim Urban found the real transcript of the Biden-Trump presidential debate.
Professional grumpy old man Niall Ferguson feels very grumpy about 'Soviet America.' Russian-American journalist Cathy Young, who emigrated from the Soviet Union as a 16-year-old and actually got to experience Soviet life first-hand, has some choice words for him, and concludes that Ferguson, a historian, isn’t interested in a serious examination; he’s interested in an ideological broadside.
Amazing deep dive on where things are with fusion power. Best thing you will read on this subject all year, we promise.
Hi everyone, Gus here, switching into personal mode. This is something I learned from Becky Kennedy last year, and I've been banging on about it to everyone ever since. The problem with smartphones isn't the kids, it's the adults. "Maybe the pressing question is not, "How do I get my kid off her phone?", but rather, "How can I get off my own phone so that my kid doesn’t see that as normal?'" The Analog Family
Here's the evidence.
While we're on this topic: this is exactly how I feel about being a parent.
Kids are humanity, and the future, reified into little toddling people. Once there is someone vulnerable walking around who is not you, but that you care about more than yourself, and that you hope will outlive you, you have automatically taken a step toward caring about the world more in general. I’m well aware that people get this sort of expansion of self through other sources (e.g., romantic partners), but the expansion of the self boundary that occurs with kids was, in my own experience, unparalleled. You go from spending your time optimizing your own experience (even if we go through contortions to pretend that’s not what we’re doing) to spending your time optimizing someone else’s experiences, and then deriving sympathetic pleasure through that. That change felt like a very distinct Big Step evolution in my psychology.
That's all for this edition, thanks for reading! We've got a charity partner announcement coming next week, we can't wait to share it with you.
With love,
Gus and Amy
