This week's top stories
Aid begins pouring into Gaza
Over 2,400 aid trucks have entered the Gaza Strip since the cessation of hostilities was announced on Sunday. The truce requires at least 600 truckloads of aid to be allowed into Gaza every day of the initial six-week ceasefire. “This is a moment of tremendous hope — fragile, yet vital,” says Tom Fletcher, the United Nations undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs. Reuters
Positive outlook for global food production
The world is on track to produce more wheat, rice and soybean than ever before. Yields of staple crops, including corn, are holding steady. Total coffee production is projected to be the third highest on record, sugar is predicted its second highest production year, and pears, cherries and lemons are on track for record production. Hannah Ritchie
Check out the largest protected corridor in the contiguous US
Last week we reported that the newly designated Chuckwalla National Monument helped create the Moab to Mojave Conservation Corridor, which spans over 72,000 km2 and stretches almost 1,000 km from Utah to California. Besides bridging crucial wildlife habitats, it also preserves the traditional homelands of dozens of Tribal nations. NPCA
Further signs that oil demand in China is close to peaking
China says oil imports fell nearly 2% year-over-year - the first decline in two decades barring the pandemic. Sinopec, China’s largest refiner, has brought forward its forecast for peak crude oil consumption to 2027 - a milestone that would shake the global economy; over the past three decades, China has accounted for half of all growth in the world’s oil demand. Financial Times
The best thing that Joe Biden did
OK this is pretty wonky - but the impact is very real. In 2021, Congress directed the USDA to re-evaluate the 50 year old Thrifty Food Plan, which estimates the cost of groceries for the country's largest nutrition assistance program. The re-evaluation updated the plan based on modern consumption patterns and prices, resulting in a 21% increase in food stamp benefits for more than 41 million people. Vox
Nine countries eliminated a devastating disease in 2024
Chad got rid of one form of sleeping sickness. Cape Verde and Egypt became malaria-free. Jordan became the first country to eliminate leprosy. Brazil and Timor Leste eliminated elephantiasis, and Vietnam, India, and Pakistan eradicated trachoma, the latter after a 20-year battle: "I can't explain the jubilation on their faces…Many had tears in their eyes to see this moment in their life." NPR
The fastest energy transition in history continues
Solar and wind are being installed at a rate five times faster than all other new electricity sources—including gas, hydro and nuclear—combined. At these growth rates, energy think tank, Ember estimates that by 2032, solar and wind generation will surpass the combined output of coal and gas. Step by step, the outlook for the world’s energy mix is getting brighter. PV Magazine
We're making progress on climate change - but not fast enough
New research shows that the world is on track for around 2.7°C of warming by the end of this century. A decade ago, when we started this newsletter, we were headed for 4-5°C, so this is progress. 2.7°C is still a giant mess to leave to the future though. We're just not moving fast enough. The clean energy revolution is real and accelerating, but the physics of climate change wait for no one.
Wage inequality has declined in two-thirds of countries since 2000
A new report from the International Labour Organisation has revealed that, since the early 2000s, global wage inequality has fallen at an average rate ranging from 0.5% to 1.7% annually, with the most significant decreases occurring in LMICs. Global real average wage growth has started to surpass inflation, with projections reaching 2.7% growth for 2024, the highest increase in over 15 years. ILO
First fully 3D-printed microscope costs just £50
Scottish scientists have created the world's first fully 3D-printed microscope, capable of sub-cellular resolution - clearly imaging individual red blood cells and detailed structures in a kidney sample. Built using open-source designs and common 3D printers, the device can be assembled in under three hours, making powerful microscopy accessible to researchers worldwide. University of Strathclyde
New study reveals AMOC is not in decline
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a system of connected currents in the Atlantic Ocean that moves water throughout the world's oceans, distributing heat, moisture, and nutrients. For decades scientists have feared that melting polar ice sheets would result in the collapse of AMOC, but new research, has found that it has not declined in the last 60 years, and is currently more stable than expected. Phys Org
It's almost unanimous at this point that the Atlantic overturning will slow in the future, but whether or not it will collapse is still up for debate. This work indicates that there is still time to act before we reach this potential tipping point.
Nicholas P. Foukal, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Cambodia’s remarkable progress in water, sanitation coverage
In 2019, Cambodia had amongst the worst levels of access to clean water in Asia, and one of the highest rates of open defecation. Fast forward to 2024, and 87% of the population have access to basic clean water, over 90% benefit from basic sanitation facilities and 51% have access to safely managed sanitation services. Khmer Times
Protection for half a million hectares of Amazonian forests
A new municipal conservation area on the border of Bolivia and Brazil will protect 4,581 km2 of biodiverse tropical forests and safeguard 98% of reptiles, 90% of birds and 80% of mammals found in the municipality of Ingavi. It will hopefully also serve as a crucial source of local development for the 15 legally titled rural communities who live there. Andes Amazon Fund
How to survive being online
Some timely advice here from Mike Monteiro.
The only way to defeat a narcissistic sociopath is to starve them. Protect yourself from their bullshit, of course, but move away from it. Let them have their stage, but refuse to be their audience.
This isn’t easy. It’s especially difficult because capitalism is an attention economy. The New York Times and The Washington Post love a narcissistic sociopath because they generate clicks and clicks sell ads. Social media loves a narcissistic sociopath for the same reason, but it’s even worse. On social media, we’re the ones carrying their water. Trump says something that he knows will get him attention (i.e. renaming the Gulf of Mexico) and not only does it fire up hundreds of media outlets, who now divert attention to this idiocy, but it also fires up tons of people like me and you, who end up reposting his garbage. Some of us because we feel like we’re media outlets (we’re not), some of us because we’re freaked out and freaking other people out justifies our own freak-out, and some of us because we were once bitten by a narcissistic sociopath under a full moon and we want to generate some of those sweet sweet likes in our direction.
The first four years of Donald Trump was a continuous panic attack. I’m not going through that again. You don’t have to either. They’re on stage, but you don’t have to be their audience.
The most accurate ever view of the Milky Way
In 2013 the ESA Gaia mission launched a spacecraft to trace our galaxy’s history and evolution, and it’s been a total success. Over an 11 year period, it’s taken three trillion observations of two billion individual objects in the galaxy, most of them stars, and measured those same objects repeatedly to produce a non-static 3D map that reveals the Milky Way’s kinetic history. Universe Today
Progress
Almost everybody in Bangladesh now has access to basic electricity
In 1991, fewer than 15% of people in Bangladesh had access to electricity. By 2021, this had jumped to 99%, with over 100 million people gaining access to a basic electricity source. Over 50% of Bangladeshis also have access to a higher tier of electricity, which means capacity to power high-load appliances (such as fridges) and electricity for more than eight hours a day. Our World In Data
A great year for public health in the Americas
In 2024, vaccination coverage in the region exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time since 2019. Coverage for diphtheria, tetanus toxoid, and pertussis (DPT3) improved significantly, with first- and third-dose coverage reaching 91% and 86%, respectively. During Vaccination Week in the Americas in April 2024, over 65 million vaccine doses were administered across 34 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean—two million more than during the same week in 2023.
Madagascar edges closer to victory over tapeworm
A major health campaign in Madagascar has dealt a powerful blow against a dangerous parasitic disease that affects both humans and pigs. Through a coordinated effort of vaccination and treatment in 2024, tapeworm infections in pigs dropped from nearly one-third to less than 8%, while human infection rates fell by more than half. Over 200,000 people and animals were protected as a result. WHO
How an Ethiopian refugee region transformed water delivery
A decade-long transformation in Ethiopia's Gambella region has revolutionised water access for 235,000 refugees and host communities. The shift from emergency water trucking to a solar-powered utility system has slashed water costs more than ten-fold, while increasing daily water production from 700 to 4,000 cubic metres. The project demonstrates how humanitarian responses can evolve into sustainable solutions. UNICEF
Obamacare signups hit record 24 million
In January 2025, a record 24.2 million people signed up for Affordable Care Act plans — including 3.9 million new enrollees. Since the ACA became law in 2010, one in seven Americans have signed up for marketplace coverage, with enrolment hikes further driven by the Biden administration's decision to expand subsidy eligibility. Four out of five enrollees now have access to a plan for $10 or less per month. Bloomberg
India moves closer to eliminating child marriage
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has reported that over 73,000 child marriages were prevented in India during 2023-24, largely due to strengthened legal measures and proactive efforts by panchayats, local self-governing bodies in rural areas. A new national campaign has been launched with the goal of reducing child marriage from the current rate of approximately 23% to below 5% by 2029. Times of India
Somalia and Ethiopia commit to 'friendship and solidarity'
In January 2024, Somalia severed relations with Ethiopia after the latter entered into a controversial sea access agreement with Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland. Following talks mediated by Turkey, the two countries have now agreed to a peace deal that aims to “restore and enhance bilateral relations through full diplomatic representation in their respective capitals”, providing hope for stability in the region. Guardian
Why invent something new when we have a good old thing going?
In India, restored stepwells (centuries-old water reservoirs) are transforming communities. In New Delhi, over 16 stepwells now contribute 33,000 gallons of water per day to the city’s supply. Jodhpur sees 6.2 million gallons per day, while seven restored stepwells in Jaipur provide fresh water to over 25,000 people. Former stepwells have also become tourist attractions and public spaces, creating jobs and income for locals. RTBC
Environment
The Biden Administration’s record-breaking conservation legacy
In one term, Biden protected 674 million acres of lands and waters, more than any president in history. His administration established 15 national monuments, six wildlife refuges, and three marine sanctuaries while withdrawing 625 million acres of coastlines from oil and gas leasing and centering Indigenous communities in conservation efforts. Center for American Progress
Rights of nature for marine ecosystems in Ecuador
The country's constitutional court has ruled that coastal marine ecosystems have legal rights that must be protected and stricter limits on human activities like industrial fishing may be required. Ecuador became the first country in the world to enshrine the rights of nature into its constitution in 2008, but this is first time these rights have been extended beyond land to the country’s vast aquatic ecosystems, which include the Galapagos Islands. Inside Climate
Red food dye banned from food in the US
The Food and Drug Administration have banned Red 3 from the food supply. The ban removes Red 3 from the list of approved colour additives in foods, dietary supplements and oral medicines like cough syrups. The decision comes nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risk. What exactly were they waiting for? Time
Ghanaian Parliament passes landmark Environment Protection Bill
The bill gives new teeth to the Environmental Protection Authority, which will have a mandate to regulate and oversee all matters related to the environment and climate change. It also brings several key laws under one umbrella, including legislation regulating pesticide use and growing electronic waste. Asaase Radio
Court case win against offshore drilling saves Italy’s Po Delta
Several Italian environmental groups have sued the government in the development of a proposed gas platform in the Po Delta - and won. The nature-rich delta is already battling climate change-induced conditions, and was in further danger after Italy greenlit drilling to replenish dwindling gas supplies from Russia. Euro News
Highway-turned-stream in Seoul is an environmental win
An open sewer in the 1930s that became an elevated highway in the 1960s, Cheonggyecheon Stream was converted into a pedestrian recreational area 20 years ago. Now a major tourist attraction and cultural corridor, it also cools the surrounding neighbourhoods, reduces air pollution, and helps control monsoon floods. Wildlife, including 666 plant and species, has returned. The Guardian
NYC’s congestion pricing is a early success story
The first scheme of its kind in the United States, congestion pricing has led to a 7.5% reduction in cars entering Manhattan’s congestion relief zone and a 30-40% decrease in time to travel between Manhattan and New Jersey. Bus and subway ridership are also up. Its early success could promote similar schemes in other congested American cities.
Kazakhstan restores the North Aral Sea water level by 42%
The project, in partnership with neighbouring countries, has directed 2.6 billion m3 into the Aral Sea. Now at an estimated 27 billion m3, the sea’s salinity has decreased fourfold while annual fish catches have increased to 8,000 tons. The project was initiated after catastrophic shrinkage led to separation of the northern and southern parts of the sea in 1987. The Times of Central Asia
Remember murder hornets? Yeah, they're gone now.
Good news for turtle doves, tortoises, piping plovers, and numbats
A 2021 shooting ban on turtle doves has seen the number of breeding pairs in Europe increase to 400,000, and is raising hopes for populations in the UK, where it is endangered. In Massachusetts, the piping plover has had a second consecutive record nesting year, in Bangladesh, a rewilding program is bringing back two critically endangered tortoise species, and in Western Australia, feral cat management is seeing the population of numbats rebound.
Energy and Climate
China smashes wind and solar records (again) in 2024
During 2024, China installed an average of 30 GW per month of new wind and solar, as well as 1 GW per month of hydropower. In December alone, a staggering 70GW of solar was built, more than the entire cumulative capacity of all renewables in Australia. In one technology, in one month. All of these additions will only show up in generation statistics in 2025. Progress Playbook
Biden protects majority of IRA clean energy grants
In its final days in office, the Biden administration finalised $96.7 billion in clean energy grants under the Inflation Reduction Act to ensure they cannot be revoked by the incoming Trump administration. This represents about 84% of all grants created through the landmark legislation. These massive capital commitments aim to maintain momentum in the energy transition - no matter who is in the White House. Reuters
It's a lot easier to find an EV charging station in the United States
The number of public EV chargers doubled over the course of Biden’s term. High-speed charging stations hit a new record in the fourth quarter of 2024, with 766 added, marking an 8% increase from the previous quarter. This brings the total to approximately 10,200 charging stations, roughly one for every 12 gas stations in the country.
More good news from America: batteries and solar soar
In 2024, the United States saw a dramatic 71% increase in large-scale battery storage capacity. This growth is replacing the need for fossil fuel-dependent 'peaker plants' which provide backup power when the sun isn’t shining. Also, solar manufacturing in the US is booming, with the country now ranking third in the world for solar panel production, taking over its competitors including Malaysia and Turkey.
Ireland establishes power links with the UK and France
Electricity grid interconnectors are massive cables that link the electricity networks of neighbouring countries - and they're vital for the transition. Ireland already has one with the UK (the East-West Interconnector) and is now establishing a new link with France via the 'Celtic Interconnector,' spanning approximately 575 kilometres. RTE
Record year for wind power reduces UK's carbon footprint
In 2024, 56% of the country's electricity coming from renewable and low-carbon sources. Wind power led the charge, generating enough to power approximately 22.5 million households for a year, while reliance on fossil fuel power stations dropped by over 25%. As a result, carbon emissions per unit of electricity have fallen to a quarter of their levels from a decade ago. BBC
Poland's coal heartland ditches fossil fuels, keeps jobs
Katowice, once the heart of Poland’s coal industry, is now leading the charge to phase out coal in favour of green energy. The first major Polish city to join the Powering Past Coal Alliance, Katowice has successfully diversified its economy, focusing on services, technology, and culture to help replace jobs lost from coal - reducing its unemployment rate to 1%, one of the lowest in the country. Euronews
Nearly half of Italy’s electricity came from renewables in 2024
Renewable sources covered 41% of Italy’s electricity demand in 2024, the highest ever recorded. Renewable energy capacity has now reached 76.6 GW, with 37.1 GW from solar and 13 GW from wind. Further investments in battery and grid technologies are needed to optimise clean energy use, but this is genuine progress. Il Post
Oslo requires all construction machinery to be clean
Oslo is pioneering the use of battery-powered machinery in construction to reduce noise and pollution. In October 2024, two-thirds of machine hours were powered by electricity - as of this month, a new mandate requires electric machinery on all building sites. Sweden and The Netherlands are now considering similar moves for their own urban projects. The Guardian
Science
China develops new, green iron-making method
Chinese researchers say their ‘flash ironmaking' method takes six seconds, 3,600 times faster than current methods. A device called a 'vortex lance' (yes, that's a Genshin reference) can inject 450 tonnes of iron ore particles per hour; a reactor equipped with three such lances would produce 7.11 million tonnes annually. If scalable, this could reduce emissions from steelmaking significantly. IE / SCMP
Scientists develop shelf-stable vaccines that don't need refrigeration
Researchers at the University of Bath have developed a method that keeps biomolecules stable at room temperature for at least 10 months by surrounding them with protective chemical 'cages.' This breakthrough could eliminate the need for cold storage of vaccines and drugs, saving billions of dollars and potentially transforming global healthcare delivery. Reuters
Oldest human genomes, new human species
Researchers have sequenced the oldest modern human genomes from the fossils of seven individuals who were part of a small group of ancestors that split off from the population that left Africa around 50,000 years ago, new archeological evidence has pushed back the known date of European hominins by half a million years, and new research suggests the presence of a previously unknown human species called Homo juluensis, who lived approximately 300,000 years ago.
Gene-edited bacteria could reduce need for crop fertilisers
Researchers at the University of Illinois have discovered that biologically-fixed nitrogen bacteria can potentially supply the equivalent of 35 pounds of nitrogen fertilizer per acre from the air during early corn growth. Nitrogen is an essential ingredient to helping the plant produce root sugars it needs to thrive. Phys Org
Paralysed man flies virtual drone using brain signals
A 69-year-old man with paralysis has successfully piloted a virtual drone using only his thoughts, thanks to a brain-computer interface that decodes neural signals from finger movements. The breakthrough allows for unprecedented fine control over speed and direction, suggesting future applications such as typing and playing musical instruments. Independent
Brain implants enable realistic touch in robotic hands
Scientists at the University of Chicago have achieved two-way communication between brain and bionic limbs, allowing paralysed volunteers to both control robotic hands and feel complex sensations like edges and movement. The breakthrough, which used tiny implanted electrodes to map brain responses, marks a significant advance in restoring touch to people with disabilities. FT 🎁
The research went beyond anything that has been done before in the field of brain-computer interfaces. We are at another level of artificial touch now. We think this richness is crucial for achieving the dexterity, manipulation and tactile experience typical of the human hand.
Giacomo Valle, Assistant Professor in Bionics, University of Technology in Sweden
Driving simulation © Charles Greenspon, University of Chicago
Information superhighway (Gus)
Most of my inbox this week seemed to be some variation of 'get the hell off social media.' Anne Helen Petersen's was the best of the lot.
After years of people yelling at me in books, think pieces, and tweets (lol) to “break up with my phone,” “delete your social media accounts,” and “fuck Mark Zuckerberg,” turns out the thing that I needed was a whole conglomeration of quiet arguments and technological shifts that made my phone and the social media accounts on it feel less precious. Put differently, I haven’t come to value it less; instead, it’s become less valuable.
Here’s Hannah Power, on leaving Instagram:
… the weird things that have happened as a direct consequence have been, well, weird. for instance, I haven’t missed it once. not once! I thought I would. I thought I would miss sharing my curated life, my walks through the streets of Lisbon, my pics screaming I am on holiday, but I haven’t. another weird thing that has come from my absence is loving my absence. I didn’t realise that my privacy was luxurious and I was just giving it away for free to people and Mark Zuckerberg. I didn’t realise privacy was a gift, a privilege even. I didn’t realise how cool it was to be somewhere and only you and the person you’re with know it. it was weird that I didn’t know this, or had forgotten this - like I was under a spell.
And special mention to George Monbiot, for his elegant middle finger to X.
I stayed here long after I first considered leaving, as I believed it was wrong to cede the ground to an oligarch and his minions. But I came to see that those of us who do not subscribe to Musk's grim project are being used as groundbait: stimulating the feeding frenzy of 15-minute, 24-hour hate that now powers this platform. We can no longer build anything of value here. Brute force - the unmediated power of money - has beaten humanity, intelligence, humour and democracy.
Social psychologist Kurt Grey on why we've misunderstood human nature for over 100 years. A century ago, scientists found what appeared to be butchery marks on ancient hominid bones and concluded our ancestors were vicious predators - a view that has come to dominate modern assumptions about human nature. But new research shows those marks were actually made by eagle beaks. Our ancestors were prey, not predators, which explains both our psychological wiring for fear and vigilance, and suggests that when people seem cruel or ruthless in politics, they're usually acting out of fear rather than malice. NYT 🎁
In a wide-ranging interview about AI and technology, sci-fi master Ted Chiang argues that viewing everything as an engineering problem to be optimised - from art to ethics - misses the most important bits of what makes us, us. LARB
A beautiful meditation on what having a pet turtle teaches us about our place in the universe: watching her three-year-old red-eared slider bask in the sun, Ellen Wayland-Smith realises that like every living thing, we're just temporary arrangements of borrowed atoms that have been cycling through the cosmos for billions of years. The turtle - a species that has survived multiple mass extinctions - reminds us to practice radical humility, maintaining companionship with the vastness of geological time rather than getting lost in the narrow tick of human clocks. Orion Magazine
That's it for this week, thanks for reading! In our next edition we'll be doing a big update on our giving plans for the year ahead. See you then.
With love,
Gus and Amy