Hi everyone, Gus here, apologies for the missed issue last week. I do have a good excuse though :) Sammy and I welcomed a new baby into our family - she was born en caul, at sunrise last Thursday. We don't have a name for her yet but she's healthy and hungry and very, very cute. I'd forgotten the way babies burrow into your neck when they're having a cuddle, and how one moment like that can make up for an entire sleepless night. Mum is recovering well and our other two girls are besotted. We are so grateful.
Hopefully back to regular programming now, but the schedule could get a little wobbly over the next few weeks as our lives settle into a new pattern. Thanks in advance for your understanding.
We've got such a great issue this week, kicking off with this month's charity partner...
The Alma Nuns
A couple of weeks ago we came across the incredible story of the ALMA Nuns, who run an orphanage and school for kids with disabilities in Timor Leste. On a budget of next to nothing, these nuns have 20 children living in their small house and provide them with a loving home, food, treatment and round-the-clock care. Most of the kids have special needs and many are left by families who don’t have the means to support them.
We’re giving them $10,000 AUD, which they're putting towards the construction of a new classroom to meet increasing demand. Caring for a disabled child is hard enough but in a country like Timor Leste where specialised healthcare and infrastructure is lacking, the challenge is overwhelming. And yet, when we spoke with Sister Anastasia Muti, the joy in her voice was infectious (even over a slightly unstable WhatsApp connection). She told us that despite the challenges, every child who lands on their doorstep is considered a gift.
In addition to the orphanage the nuns run two classrooms for around 70 kids, some who live at the orphanage and others from surrounding villages who are collected by a bus each morning because public schools won’t accept students with disabilities. They welcome every race and religion and run programs for children who are blind, deaf, struggling with severe learning difficulties, cerebral palsy, autism and range of other health problems to help them build the skills to live a meaningful life.
How you can help
The ALMA Nuns rely solely on donations to continue their work, not just monetary but also education and health supplies. If you can help them out with wheelchairs, books for the school or shoes/clothing for kids or if you have any working computers that you no longer need, please contact Sister Anastasia directly: mutianastasiam@gmail.com
This week's top stories
China, long the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter and designated bogeyman of climate conferences, is now leagues ahead of any other country on wind, solar and electric vehicles, and green tech now contributes significantly more to its economy than any other major power. China sees investing in clean energy as a key pillar of its efforts to surpass the EU and US technologically…and while this progress may be couched in terms of great power competition, it’s a huge net good for the world as a whole. WaPo 🎁
A new report shows that the United States installed 50 GW of new solar in 2024, the largest single year of new capacity added to the US grid by any energy technology in two decades. But wait, there's more. Solar and batteries will supply four fifths of new power capacity in the United States in 2025. This surge will accelerate coal's decline, with 5% of remaining coal plants set to retire this year—twice last year's closure rate. Yale360
Did you know that in the past five years, over 100 million people in Africa have gained access to electricity? Liberia has seen access go from 5% in 2017 to 35% today, Rwanda has gone from 6% in 2009 to 75% today, Nigeria is now at 70%, up from 50% a decade ago, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea have reached 90%, and Rwanda, Senegal and Kenya are all targeting universal access by 2030. Global Energy Prize
⚡ Those may seem like dry numbers but it’s life-changing stuff; for a vivid look at how lives change when people gain access to electric power, check out Robert Caro’s piece on pre- and post-electricity life in 1930s rural Texas in “The Sad Irons.”
It's not just electricity but wireless internet and potable water that could be coming to the world’s most isolated areas: Alphabet's Project Taara has developed laser technology transmitting internet at fiber-optic speeds without physical cables. Their 'light bridges' have successfully connected communities across the Congo River, reducing costs in Kinshasa fivefold. Wired
Meanwhile, researchers in Texas have developed a system that transforms common biomass—food scraps, branches, seashells—into water-harvesting materials. The system requires minimal energy while being scalable for off-grid communities, and produces 14.19 litres of water daily per kilogram of material, triple the output of conventional methods. Advanced Materials
Vaccines now save six lives per minute in Zimbabwe; the country has slashed under-five mortality from 93 to 48 deaths per 1,000 live births since 2008 through systematic vaccination expansion. The national immunization program has grown from six to 13 antigens while mobilizing village health workers to conduct community outreach in hard-to-reach areas. Gavi
UN biodiversity talks have established a framework to monitor nations' progress on protecting 30% of the earth by 2030. Despite geopolitical tensions, countries achieved breakthrough consensus on a pathway for the $200 billion annual nature funding goal, including dedicated funding for indigenous groups. NYT 🎁
And on the topic of indigenous groups taking charge on conservation, Canada’s Inuit have just secured a huge amount of government funding to lead conservation of Arctic marine ecosystems. Canada's federal government has committed $200 million for Inuit-led conservation across 800 km² of the Qikiqtani Region, supplemented by $70 million from philanthropic sources. Nunatsiaq News
Cambodia, once the world's most mined country, is now almost landmine-free. Last year, teams cleared over 273 km2 of the country, destroying 17,853 anti-personnel mines, 228 anti-tank mines, and 91,111 explosive remnants. Down from 3,300 km2 in 1992, there are now just 348 km2 remaining that require clearance...or, in other words, at last year's rate of mine clearing, a little more than a year of de-mining left. Cambodia Constructors Association
Princeton researchers have visualized Hofstadter's butterfly—a quantum fractal pattern—for the first time in physical materials, confirming a mathematical prediction from 1976. This discovery reveals how nature's self-repeating patterns extend into the quantum realm - suggesting that fundamental mathematical principles manifest across different scales of reality, and hinting at deeper organizing principles throughout nature. Phys.org
The Right to Repair movement has reached all 50 US states. Wisconsin just became the final state to introduce legislation, completing nationwide coverage. Six states have already passed laws requiring companies to sell repair parts, share manuals, and remove software locks that restrict repairs, and 20 more are actively considering bills. "We’ve completed the sweep of getting bills filed in all 50 states. Our legislative map no longer has any blanks." 404 Media
New molecule matches Ozempic's weight loss effects without harsh side effects. Stanford researchers identified a molecule known as BRP that suppresses appetite and reduces weight but without nausea, constipation, or muscle loss. BRP targets specific brain neurons in the hypothalamus rather than affecting multiple body systems. 🤖 Here's the key part: The study would not have been possible without the use of artificial intelligence to sift through dozens of proteins in a class called prohormones.
Arizona's 15-week abortion ban has been permanently invalidated following voters' decisive support for Proposition 139, which enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution. Though dozens of restrictive laws remain, this ruling allows doctors to provide care without risk of imprisonment, and represents the first significant step in aligning state legislation with the overwhelming 62% voter mandate for reproductive healthcare autonomy. AZ Mirror
Canada secures the future of affordable childcare. The country's transformative national childcare program will get an additional $37 billion investment, ensuring affordable early education until 2031. The program has already created 150,000 new childcare spaces nationwide. Beyond maintaining $10-a-day fees, the new agreement includes annual funding increases, "cementing childcare as a foundational building block of Canadian identity." CBC News
After a 3,000 years of absence on mainland Australia, Tasmanian devils have been released into a protected sanctuary in New South Wales. The rewilding initiative aims to restore ecological balance by reintroducing these apex predators, which can help control invasive foxes and cats devastating native wildlife (did someone just say trophic cascade?!). New Scientist
And in a high altitude forest east of Melbourne, more than 3,000 critically endangered Baw Baw frogs have just been set free, following a pioneering conservation program by Melbourne Zoo. Currently, only around 500 of these frogs exist in the wild. The Guardian
Human Progress
The last five years have seen lasting global progress on women's rights. 162 countries now have laws prohibiting gender-based discrimination in employment, 140 have laws to eliminate violence against women and girls, and 60 have measures in place to address violence against women in public life—more than double the number in 2019. Between 2019 and 2024, the number of countries with measures to increase women's and girls' access to STEM and digital skills has risen from 94 to 111, 84 countries have introduced or strengthened gender-responsive laws and policies on disaster risk reduction and climate resilience (up from 62 in 2019), and the proportion of women using the internet has increased from 50% to 65%. United Nations
UK extends paid bereavement leave to 250,000 parents after early pregnancy loss. British parents who experience miscarriage before 24 weeks will gain two weeks of paid bereavement leave under Labour's new workers' rights reforms. This landmark expansion, which will benefit approximately 250,000 families annually, acknowledges the significant physical and emotional impacts of pregnancy loss that affects 10-20% of early pregnancies. The Guardian
The number of Australian women killed by an intimate partner declined by almost 24% last year compared to 2023.
Cervical cancer deaths among young US women have plummeted by 62% since HPV vaccination began, with pre-cancer rates falling 80% in vaccinated age groups. Gavi
Oh, and deaths from fentanyl are plummeting in the United States.
$1.54 billion for education for 70 million kids in eastern and southern Africa. A new World-Bank funded program aims to halve the population of school-age children who are out of school across the two regions. The program will be implemented over a ten year period, with the first phase expected to benefit over 20 million students in Ethiopia and Comoros. World Bank Group
Britain will provide first-day sick pay protection to 1.3 million low-wage workers previously excluded from coverage, eliminating the three-day waiting period. Those earning below £123 weekly will receive either 80% of their salary or the standard £118.75 rate, potentially boosting income by £100 per week. This transformation allows vulnerable workers to prioritize health without sacrificing financial security, keeping more people in stable employment. Sky
Texas reduces child abuse deaths to historic lows. Child deaths from abuse dropped to 99 cases in 2024—well below the typical range of 150-200 annually- and home removals have decreased by 50% over two years. The transformation follows legislative changes in 2021 that redefined neglect, prioritized connecting families with immediate resources, and implemented triage assessments to focus investigative resources on highest-risk cases. KSAT
Gaza polio campaign reaches 603,000 children during ceasefire. At the end of February, a five-day polio vaccination campaign in Gaza reached nearly 603,000 children under ten, including around 40,000 children who didn't get vaccinations during the 2024 rounds. The ceasefire enabled health workers to reach previously inaccessible areas in Northern Gaza. WHO
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Inside the funhouse mirror factory
What else you could have done with that time?
Environment and Conservation
EU sets first-ever binding targets to slash food waste by 30%. The European Union has established legally binding targets requiring a 30% reduction in food waste across retail, restaurants and households by 2030. The agreement, part of reforms to the EU's waste framework directive, also tackles fast fashion by requiring clothing producers to pay for waste management based on product sustainability. Euronews
New Zealand launches largest-ever island rewilding to rescue 300+ species. Three islands spanning 15 times the area of previous restoration projects have joined a global initiative to remove invasive predators by 2030. The ambitious effort will reconnect ocean-island ecosystems, potentially increasing fish biomass by 50% and accelerating reef recovery four-fold. Indigenous Māori and Moriori communities are partnering with conservation groups to restore these "living remnants of a prehistoric world." Mongabay
California's Karuk Tribe has restored their right to conduct cultural burns without permits from forestry. This historic reversal of over 170 years of suppression allows the tribe to resume traditional fire practices that maintained healthy forests for millennia, with an estimated 7,000 burns annually across their ancestral territory. Los Angeles Times 🗄️
In a landmark conservation effort, 50,000 juvenile redfish have been released into Biscayne Bay in Florida—the largest restocking in three decades. Specially bred to match East Coast DNA patterns, these fish are part of a wider statewide restoration program that has released hundreds of thousands more fish. Families and anglers participated in the hands-on release, connecting a new generation to marine conservation efforts. CBS
From 22 to 561: California condor rebounds from extinction. In 1987 there were only 22 remaining California condors, North America's largest bird. There are 561 today, with 344 flying free. This remarkable recovery stems from innovative breeding techniques, genetic research, and cross-border collaboration between US and Mexican institutions. Knowable Magazine
South Africa's 'centre of endemism' becomes a nature reserve. The 116 km² sanctuary in the salty Soutpansberg mountains, long overlooked as a unique ecosystem, now safeguards 593 tree species and 11 endemic reptiles. Mail & Guardian
England has authorized the return of wild beavers after a 400-year absence, allowing existing enclosed populations to expand naturally while establishing a licensing system for new reintroductions. These ecosystem engineers create dams that serve as natural flood defenses and develop wetlands that boost biodiversity. Though farmers raised concerns about crop damage, officials concluded the environmental benefits "more than outweigh the risks." Sky News
Around two decades ago, Björn Embrén invented the Stockholm Tree Pit method to supercharge urban street trees - creating underground pits of soil and stone that allow for more breathable spaces to exist beneath paved surfaces, letting roots access oxygen and water. Trees planted this way in Stockholm have seen their circumferences increase by up to 3x - and now the method is spreading throughout Europe. RTBC
"Since 2018, Acción Andina has launched 23 projects, engaging at least 25,000 people in the restoration of nearly 50 km² of Andean forests and the protection of more than 112 km² of existing woodland. More than 200 local communities have benefited from expanded economic opportunities through reforestation and conservation efforts (...) to date, Acción Andina has planted nearly 12 million trees across the six countries where it operates. Mongabay
Energy and Climate
Global offshore wind set for dramatic rebound in 2025. Offshore wind installations are projected to more than double from 8GW in 2024 to 19GW in 2025, exceeding the previous record set in 2021. The $80 billion investment surge demonstrates renewed momentum, though floating wind technology faces scaling challenges without additional government support. Electrek
India's largest electricity producer will invest over $23 billion in renewable energy in Madhya Pradesh, including a massive 20GW clean energy complex. This accelerates India's transition from fossil fuels, with Adani Group announcing an additional $12.7 billion regional investment in the same week. Reuters
Last year the UK saw emissions fall to their lowest level since 1872. UK greenhouse gas emissions fell 3.6% in 2024, reaching levels not seen since Victorian times. Coal use plummeted 54% to its lowest level since 1666, driven by closure of the country's last coal-fired power station and Port Talbot steelworks blast furnaces. Eletric vehicle sales rose by 39% (remember the slowdown?) saving drivers £1.7 billion in fuel costs. Carbon Brief
UK net zero economy grew 10% in 2024, outpacing national growth.
The net zero economy is growing three times faster than the wider UK economy, providing high-wage jobs while reducing emissions and boosting energy security. In 2024, the sector—spanning renewable energy to green finance—grew 10%, generating £83 billion and employing a million people. The Guardian.
Net zero in the UK is going to be cheaper than everyone thought
A new report says that investment needs to reach net zero in the United Kingdom have halved from £1.3 trillion to £0.7 trillion in the renewables sector, and net costs are down by three-quarters from £0.4 trillion to £0.1 trillion. Saving the world is cheaper than we thought...and cheaper than ruining it. Carbon Brief
Solar mini grid project brings electricity to 5.5 million Nigerians.
Between 2018 and 2024 a rural electrification project built 125 solar hybrid mini grids and sold a million solar home systems, enabling more than 5.5 million Nigerians in remote areas to gain access to electricity. It also created over 5,000 green jobs, and laid the groundwork for a $750 million expansion that aims to provide clean electricity to an additional 17.5 million Nigerians. World Bank
Bangladesh: We see your 5.5 million... how about 20 million? An in-depth look at how Bangladesh rolled out the world’s largest off-grid solar programme and gave 20 million of its people clean electricity.
Spain's biggest utility now has equal amounts of fossil gas and solar.
Spanish utility Iberdrola invested a record €12 billion in renewables in 2024, boosting solar capacity to 7.8GW—now matching its 7.9GW gas portfolio. This represents a transformative shift as solar grew 31% in Spain while fossil gas capacity fell 15.4% year-on-year. PV Tech
EU unveils €100 billion fund to help heavy industry slash emissions.
The European Commission has launched the Clean Industrial Deal, offering money and incentives to help polluting heavy industries like steel and cement slash their emissions dramatically. The package, which aims for a 90% emissions reduction by 2040, could cut the bloc's fossil fuel import bill by €45 billion in 2025, rising to €130 billion by 2030. Euro Weekly News
Science and Technology
Water originated in primordial supernovae 13.6 billion years ago. Groundbreaking simulations by British astronomers show that water molecules formed in cooling clouds surrounding the universe's first supernovae just 100-200 million years after the Big Bang. This breakthrough discovery establishes water as a fundamental element of the earliest galaxies, suggesting this essential ingredient for life has existed almost as long as starlight itself. Nature
Archaeological discovery in Ivory Coast reveal humans thrived in dense rainforests 150,000 years ago—eight times earlier than previously documented. The Anyama site shows early humans mastered specialized toolmaking to navigate challenging tropical environments, transforming our understanding of human origins beyond East African savannas, and revealing how our ancestors' innovative problem-solving capabilities enabled them to flourish across diverse ecosystems throughout the continent. NYT 🎁
Gene editing breakthrough could revolutionize food production in developing regions. Scientists at Johns Hopkins have identified genes controlling fruit size in tomatoes and eggplants, enabling targeted editing that could double their growth. This discovery allows a single engineered seed to potentially transform agricultural markets in regions like Africa, where local varieties are currently too small for commercial viability.
New electron beam can tear apart matter and mimic stellar explosions. Physicists have created the first petawatt electron beam, concentrating the power 0f a million nuclear plants into a quadrillionth of a second. The beam can deconstruct matter on the atomic level, allowing scientist to create exotic plasma states and potentially witness particles emerge from empty space—a phenomenon predicted but never yet observed. Science
War leaves genetic imprints that pass to children. Scientists looking at the genes of women who lived through war in Syria discovered specific "stress markers", with different markers appearing in their children and grandchildren who never experienced the violence. Another big piece of evidence suggesting that extremely stressful events can leave biological traces that affect families across generations. Science
FDA approves first bioengineered blood vessels. The vessels—grown from human donor cells over two months on dissolving polymer scaffolds—can restore circulation after severe injuries when patients lack suitable veins for transplant. The technology could eliminate the need for harvesting vessels from multiple body sites during amputations. “It’s truly a remarkable scientific achievement." Wired
Astronomers have identified 128 new moons orbiting Saturn, bringing its total to 274—almost twice as many as all other planets combined. This story feels almost unbelievable. How on earth did we only just discover hundreds of missing moons?
And finally, speaking of moons....landing on ours never gets old.
That's it for this edition, thanks for reading, and for making the donation to Alma Nuns possible. We'll see you next week.
With love,
The FTN team