Global Good News Summary
- Editor OGN Daily
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
Quick synopsis of the top good news stories from last week.
Health & Wellbeing
Fighting Alzheimer's: A new study offers hope for early-onset Alzheimer’s patients to slow or even improve the progression of their disease. New findings suggest that participants who made intensive lifestyle changes improved their memory, judgment and problem-solving skills. Participants stuck to a vegan diet, exercised daily and joined online support groups for 40 weeks. “I’m coming back. An older but better version of me.”
AI Physio: In a rare moment of glory for AI, which is usually in the news for taking jobs or helping kids skip homework, the first AI-run physio clinic for Britain's NHS has halved the waiting list for back pain and musculoskeletal services.
Helsinki Traffic: Thanks to lower speed limits and smarter design, the capital of Finland went an entire year without a single traffic death, reports YLE. Street design for pedestrian and cycling infrastructure has been significantly upgraded in recent years, and more traffic cameras and automated enforcement systems have been introduced.
'Miracle Drug': Just one year after its breakout public health moment, 'miracle drug' lenacapavir has been approved by the FDA and recommended by the WHO. The drug, which Science called its 'breakthrough of the year' in 2024, is a long-lasting shot that provides almost 100 percent protection against HIV infection.
Advance Warning: Smartphones now form world’s largest earthquake detection network, reports Ars Technica. Google’s Android Earthquake Alerts System has turned millions of smartphones into a global seismic sensor grid. By detecting vibrations via phone accelerometers and triangulating signals, the system can issue warnings moments before it occurs.
Wildlife & Conservation
Global Milestone: Canada is to protect an area larger than Germany: that's 147,000 square miles (380,000 sq.km) of land and water, reports The Narwhal. It also represents a global milestone in returning land governance to its original caretakers.
Rock Art Listed: Murujuga, a 1,000 sq.km property in Western Australia that holds the world’s densest concentration of rock art, has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. It's home to over a million petroglyphs carved by First Nations over tens of thousands of years.
Back From The Brink: Grand Cayman's beloved “blue dragons” have come roaring back from the brink. CNN reports that there may have been as few as 25 blue iguanas left on the island, but thanks to conservation and a release program there are now around 1,200 - shifting the animal from Critically Endangered, to Endangered.
Rhisotope Project: A South African university has launched an anti-poaching campaign by injecting the horns of rhinos with harmless radioactive isotopes. Effectively making the horn detectable through international customs security systems.
Quiet Comebacks: Cranes and storks return in record numbers across Europe and Asia. From peatlands to paddies, three iconic bird species are making quiet comebacks. In Scotland, common cranes have reappeared after centuries, recolonising lost wetland habitat. In China’s Yunnan province, black-necked crane populations have hit a record high of 5,929, and Denmark just recorded the most white stork nestlings in over 50 years.
Six Miles Down: An abundance of marine life has been discovered in the Mariana Trench - becoming the deepest-known sea animal communities ever found.
Butterfly Highway: Missouri is creating a 26-mile-wide, 292-mile-long corridor in what will become the Highway 13 Butterfly Trail. The initiative is focused both on pollinator conservation, particularly for monarch butterflies, and on helping boost local economies by creating plantings and tourist attractions.
Tiny Staircases: Two cities in the Netherlands are making waves - in a good way - with creative efforts to protect cats, hedgehogs and other small animals from drowning in urban canals. They are installing hundreds of tiny wooden staircases along the canal walls, giving animals a way out if they accidentally fall in.
Massive New MPA: Portugal has announced a new marine protected area that covers 38,000 square miles surrounding the Gorringe Ridge, home to 850 marine species. The Gorringe Ridge is the tallest seamount - a large submarine volcanic mountain - in Western Europe, and is known for its biodiversity. Portugal has now raised its percentage of total protected territorial waters from 19 percent to 27 percent - well on its way to protecting 30 percent by 2030.
Climate & Renewables
Brink of Breakthrough: UN chief António Guterres says the world is on the brink of climate breakthrough. More than nine in 10 renewable power projects commissioned in 2024 were less expensive than their fossil fuel equivalent. Solar was 41 percent cheaper on average and land wind 53 percent cheaper. “The greatest threat to energy security today is fossil fuels. They leave economies and people at the mercy of price shocks, supply disruptions and geopolitical turmoil. There are no price spikes for sunlight. No embargoes on wind.”
Oregon Milestone: Oregon is set to host the largest solar-plus-storage facility in the U.S. - marking a significant milestone in renewable energy innovation. The Sunstone Solar project will span nearly 9,500 acres and will generate enough clean electricity to power approximately 800,000 homes.
NY Goes Electric: New York is now the first state in the U.S. to require new buildings to be built entirely electric, without hookups to fossil fuels including gas, reports EcoWatch.
Ford CEO: Jim Farley to reveal it's long-awaited cheap EV platform on 11 August, saying that "This is a Model T moment for us at Ford."
Some Funny Stuff
Sweet Revenge: An Ohio woman, whose car was repossessed by the dealership just one month after she bought it, has pulled off a revenge move for the ages. Tiah McCreary discovered, as she explored legal options against the company, that the dealer had failed to renew the registration on the company’s name with the Ohio Secretary of State, so she registered it in her name - then hit the dealer with a cease-and-desist order, ordering them to no longer use the name they’ve used since 2012. As you might guess, a legal battle is underway.
Distress Call: Concerned hikers in British Columbia triggered a "full search and rescue response including police and a drone team" after calling 911 to report what they thought was the sound of someone in danger, said CTV News. But the "repeated cries" turned out to be a solo camper "singing his heart out to the trees", unaware that his renditions were echoing around the forest. "He wasn't in trouble," local Search and Rescue said. "Unless you count his singing."
Short Jokes: The Fringe is now underway in Scotland's capital city, as it has almost every year since 1947. To celebrate, here's half a dozen of this year's one-liners to give you a chuckle.