Good News Monday

Editor OGN Daily
Nov 3
3 min read

Ensuring the week gets off to a good start with today's global round up of positive news stories.

Michelin-starred chef Cristina Bowerman — Cristina Bowerman | FAO

'Food Heroes’

The UN’s #foodheroes campaign (running since 2021) celebrates people transforming how the world eats and farms. This year’s group includes a women-led collective in Madagascar tackling child malnutrition through climate-resilient farming, grape farmers in Kyrgyzstan revitalising abandoned Soviet-era farmland, a camel-milk cooperative in Mauritania, a hydroponic grower in Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Michelin-starred chef Cristina Bowerman, a zero-waste chef in Rome, Italy. Find out more about these mostly unsung heroes.

Wild Pere David's deer in the Tiaozini Wetlands, China | VCG

Remarkable Comeback

China’s ‘extinct’ Pere David’s deer makes historic comeback. Once wiped out in the wild, China’s milu (Pere David’s deer) has staged one of the world’s great wildlife recoveries. From just 39 animals reintroduced from British zoos in 1986, the herd at Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve has grown to more than 8,500, part of a nationwide population topping 14,000. World Day reports that the research teams (comprised of both Chinese and European institutions) said that "We studied 900+ endangered species across 20 years and this Chinese wetland’s resurrection miracle changed everything we thought we knew about conservation."

Having a Bawl

It’s the latest wellness trend to take hold: a “scream club”, where people gather to shriek at the top of their voices. More than 600 people headed to Primrose Hill this month for the London Scream Squad’s 15-minute inaugural session, with further scream-ins planned. The trend, which began in the US, is said to be a great way to release “pent-up energy”. Shania Barnes, who runs another London club, says the only member rules are that you must “hydrate, respect your body’s limits and, if you feel dizzy, pause”.

The Clean Air Era

Global air-pollution deaths fall as clean-air era begins. For the first time in centuries, global deaths from air pollution are falling; down by 21 percent between 2013 and 2023 thanks to a steep drop in household smoke as billions gained access to cleaner cooking, reports the State of Global Air. The last 18 months have seen the fastest tightening of air-quality laws in history, and several major economies - notably China, the US and the EU - are now decoupling pollution from growth.

neuroscientist Ardem Patapoutian — Ardem Patapoutian | Scripps Research

Hidden Sixth Sense

How does your brain know you’re hungry, or that your heart needs to beat faster? Scientists at Scripps Research have received a $14.2 million NIH grant to map this “hidden sixth sense” known as interoception, aka the internal network that lets the brain monitor organs like the heart, lungs and gut. Led by Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Ardem Patapoutian, the team will build the first 3D atlas showing how sensory neurons connect deep within the body. The good news is that this first-ever neural atlas could redefine treatments for conditions linked to disrupted body-brain communication.

EU Court Ruling

In a landmark ruling, the European Court of Human Rights has ordered Norway to assess the global climate impacts of oil and gas before approving new fields - and crucially, including emissions from burning fuels abroad. The decision establishes binding legal duties for European governments under human rights law, effectively setting limits on new fossil fuel expansion across Europe, says Greenpeace.

"Faith is a knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof." Kahlil Gibran